


Crone of War

by OraLeigh



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Harpies, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-06-19 19:44:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 32,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15517233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OraLeigh/pseuds/OraLeigh
Summary: Two years after the incident with Winters, the turtles' lives have returned to normal, or at least their version of it. However, life for them was never meant to be easy for long. A new threat arises from a ancient race of beings led by a creature known only through myth. The brothers soon realize that the threat they pose is all too real as they try to protect the human race from extermination, struggling with their own shortcomings as they do so.





	1. Dinner Celebration

Mikey cautiously peeked around the corner; the dim light was a mixed blessing, hiding not only him but histarget as well. The light at the end of the hall indicated where his opponent lay in wait, scheming his next diabolical plot.

Silently, he advanced until he was just outside the door frame. From here he could listen to the ongoing conversation.

"Tonight? Yes, of course. In fact, this should make the entire situation so much easier."

Suspicious indeed, the orange clad turtle thought.

"No, it won't be a problem at all. The four of them have no idea about your plan. Hmm? Very well. I shall see you soon."

Panic set in when he heard the phone being turned off, followed by unsteady footsteps towards his direction. Thankfully, all those years of intense training enabled him to disappear into the shadows instantly.

He turned, and, just as he had planned, ran right into an immovable object that seemed to have materialized behind him.

"Boo!"

Mikey's reaction was not an impressive feat to behold; with a shriek he attempted to turn and flee midair. As his feet made contact with the group once more, he slammed into another person. He fell face first into the ground, nearly bringing Splinter down with him.

While Raph was busy bent over laughing, his father sighed and looked down at his youngest son. "Michaelangelo, you know how I feel about you listening in on my phone calls."

Mikey leapt to his feet, his injuries forgotten. "The urgency of the situation demanded immediate action, sensei. Risks had to be taken, rules had to be broken."

"Oh, and what was so urgent that it required you to spy on me?"

"Donnie said you told him not to order pizza tonight!" He exclaimed, genuine panic evident on his face. "It's Thursday, the one day of the week we absolutely-positively-without a doubt always order pizza! We haven't not ordered it on Thursday in years!"

"What about last week?" His brother broke in. "We didn' have it then."

Mikey didn't miss a beat, "No, you and Leo didn't. Don and I went and got some when we were supposed to be out on patrol-".

"At any rate, Michaelangelo," Splinter stepped between the brothers. "April has invited us to eat dinner in her home. I do not think it will harm you to eat a real meal for a change."

"Yeah, we're startin' to worry you've forgotten how to use a fork, Mikey." Raph tossed over his shoulder as he walked away. "Well, you guys have fun tryin' ta teach him how to eat at a table again."

"Raphael, I expect you to be present as well."

The red banded turtle stopped in his tracks just before he could escape, grumbling indistinctly.

A few hours later they were all climbing into the apartment via the window. April greeted them happily, looking a little flustered. The brothers chalked it up to having not felt well for the past few days; the last time they had seen her, she had thrown up promptly after eating breakfast, and declared afterwards all she wanted to do was sleep.

"Hope you guys are hungry. We ordered takeout from this great restaurant a couple of blocks from here."

"Yeah, it's pretty great for a Greek joint. Usually I don't go for that stuff." Casey added from his spot against the counters.

"I told you, genius, it's not Greek. The place is Persian."

"Whatever, I still don't see the difference." This caused April to launch into a familiar rant about the differences between the two cuisines. Even two years after the incidence with Winters, they seemed incapable of even preparing a meal without screaming at each other. The thing was, they actually seemed to do so with affection, if it were possible to find such an emotion thrown amongst insults and raised voices.

Finally, after her rant was over, they all sat down to eat. Donatello seemed genuinely interested in the dishes, while Mikey poked at something that looked suspiciously liked dead purple alien skin, even after April's repeated assurance that the eggplant was harmless.

Throughout the whole meal Casey and April both seem a little nervous, though they never stopped smiling at each other. After everyone had eaten a fair amount, April spoke up.

"I hope you guys enjoyed dinner. Casey and I wanted it to be a little more special than usual, because we have some important news."

"Important enough that pizza had to be sacrificed?" Mikey made no effort to lower his voice, though Splinter made no move to discipline him further than a firm shush.

"I think so," April said, not bothered by his remark. "The thing is, we finally figured out why I've been feeling so lousy lately."

While the rest of the family seemed to be catching on, Mikey simply tilted his head to the side. "You've been infected with a previously undiscovered space parasite and get to be a part of a scientific investigation of its origins?"

This time Splinter corrected Mikey, not even looking up from his food as his cane made contact with his skull.

"Well, when you think about it, he's not that far off…." Casey pondered, finally getting on April's last nerve.

"Can't you morons keep your traps shut long enough for me to tell you the wonderful news about how I'm pregnant?!" She punctuated her remark by slamming her fist on the table.

For a few beats, no one spoke, blinked, or even breathed. The silence was broken by Mikey choking on the water he had been drinking during her outburst, which snapped everyone else out of their confusion. With a shout Raph leaped out his chair to slap Casey on his back. Donnie got up to hug April and tell her congratulations, laughing the whole time. Leo and Splinter hung back with huge smiles on their faces, while Mikey recovered and rushed forward to crush April in his signature embrace.

The rest of the evening was filled with celebration, laughter, and, to Mikey's complete jubilation, cake. When the time came to depart, they each took turns hugging April one last time, who looked tired but happy. Upon returning to the lair, each brother retired to their activities, with Mikey claiming the couch.

Before Leo could lecture him about binging on Sci-Fi marathons again, an amber alert flashed on the screen, showing a picture of a missing girl from East Harlem. She had been missing since that morning, having apparently been taken from her bed that night. Judging by the picture, the girl couldn't have been older than 12.

"How terrible." Splinter remarked, having been observing from the shadows. "There truly is nothing more horrifying for a parent than to face losing a child."

Somewhere far on the other side of the city, a small figure sat crying in an abandoned building. Another being approached her, stooping to embrace the weeping child.

"Shhhh, it's alright." It stroked her hair soothingly. "I'm here, I'll always be here. No one will hurt you now."

The girl's tears slowed for a moment, and she looked into the creature's face. "Just like you promised? You don't care what's happening to me?"

A smile crept onto the other's face, "Of course not. I understand more than anyone what you're going through. Don't worry, I'm not going to abandon you, not like everyone else. Do you understand?"

The child paused for a moment, before settling into her arms with a sniffle. "Yes, I do, Medea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a story that I've been playing with on and off again for a while now. Hope you enjoy it, I own nothing but the OCs. Leave me your thoughts in the comments, feedback is always appreciated!


	2. Tooth Faeries

"Beautiful night." Medea said to herself, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. She always enjoyed the night, with all its coldness and silence.

Suddenly, a loud noise below broke her concentration. With a snarl she turned and peered down below her perch. A loud fight had broken out between a man and what appeared to be his girlfriend. She was screaming and crying, hitting him in an attempt to get away. This only seemed to infuriate him further, as he struck bad both physically and verbally.

A low growl rose beside Medea. Red eyes gleamed brightly as the smaller creature bared its fangs down at the abusive display.

"Such a poor girl." Medea tapped one finger against the brick ledge she was leaned on. Now he was dragging her by her hair deeper into the alley. It was late enough that the streets around them were deserted. However, Medea thought that the woman's screams were certainly loud enough to wake her neighbors, though no one stirred from their homes to investigate. "Emma, don't you think she could use your help?"

The child squirmed next to her, her eyes glowing even brighter now. "You mean all by myself? Really?"

"I see no reason why not. We certainly can't just stand by and do nothing." She stretched slowly, fanning her wings out. The young woman screamed again, louder this time. "Go now."

Medea turned her attention back to the night sky. The stars all seemed to be watching them, like spectators enjoying the exciting part of a play.

"Such a beautiful night... Emma," She added before her protégée could leap from her perch. "bring me his body when you're done."

* * *

A month had passed since that night when April and Casey announced they were expecting their first child. Life went on as normal for the turtles, a steady routine that was comforting in its predictability. For normal people, predictability was rarely seen as an enjoyable part of life. For their family, however, it was usually welcomed, given the small amount of normalcy they were allowed

That night they sat on a rooftop, preparing for their regular patrol. The past winter had been colder than previous ones, and they were eager to get moving to stay warm.

"You guys have room for one more?" Casey approached from the shadows, swinging a baseball bat casually.

"What's up pops? How come you're not staying home with April tonight?" Mikey asked as he balanced atop a gargoyle.

"Well, we talked it over, and decided she could use some girl time with her friends tonight."

Raph snorted. "Ya got kicked out again, didn' ya?"

With a groan Casey shrugged his shoulders. "This time it was cuz I didn't put the damned remote back on the entertainment center, and she had to look for it. Said if I didn't start puttin' it back where it goes, she was gonna find a new place to hide it."

Though they were thrilled that April was pregnant, her mood swings were starting to ramp up more than ever. The week before, when Raph had come to retrieve Casey, she had chased the unfortunate turtle from the apartment with a broom for eating the last bit of her favorite ice cream.

They set out after this. It wasn't long before they happened upon a group of purple dragons attempting to break into the back door of a business.

"They look like a buncha kids." Casey said, eyeing their clumsy and noisy movement. He was right; none of them looked like they were old enough to drive, which probably meant that this was some sort initiation into the gang.

"What's a matter Case? Fatherhood makin' ya soft already?" Raph brandished his sais, already picking out of the largest member apparently standing guard. Or at least, that's what he assumed he was doing. The way he looked, Raph would have had to literally fall on top of him before he noticed their presence.

"Stop them, but don't rough them up too much." Leo said, and though this was meant for everyone he looked at one brother in particular. This earned him a grunt in return, though he was unsure if this was in cooperation or derision of his instructions.

They jumped into the alley, disarming them before they ever really knew what happened. One girl managed to hold on to her weapon though, and swung the tired iron at Mikey's head.

"Woah, watch it. You almost hit me!" He yelped, dodging her next blow.

"That's the point, dumb ass!" She snarled, and lunged forward on more time. She over extended herself however, and with one quick blow he tore the tire iron from her hands. The girl wasted no time in fleeing, knocking over a stack of crates in the process to slow Mikey's pursuit. It didn't stop him, but it gave her enough time to lose him in the cramped alley.

"Shh! Listen." Leo stopped him from following her. They could hear voices coming from inside the building and they were getting closer. The commotion the girl in particular had caused had woken up the occupants. With that, they were forced to retreat and leave her unconscious companions to be found.

Watching from the rooftops, they saw the whole family come streaming outside. The father and what looked like his eldest son held baseball bats, while his wife carried what appeared to be a large meat cleaver. Several others hung back, gawking at the scene before them. One of them, a short brown headed girl, strained to see over her brother's shoulders, announcing loudly that she couldn't see anything.

"It's like a circus down there. You'd almost think they were enjoying this." Donnie remarked after the mother raised her voice loudly, shouting at the rest of her family. With groans of protest the younger children eventually accompanied her inside, and it wasn't long before the cops arrived on the scene. At that point there was still a lot of shouting, gesturing, and overall chaos, to the point that several neighbors began to come out to investigate as well.

After they were certain the family was safe from any further trouble and that this scene was going to carry on for some time, they prepared to leave. However, their stealthy departure was temporarily thwarted when Mikey, in all his grace, tripped on a broken pipe and went tumbling over the edge of the roof. He managed to right himself midair, and landed on the building's fire escape with a flourish.

"okay, I give that a 4 for execution, but a 10 for the save!" He whispered loudly, flashing a thumbs up towards his brothers. Donnie started motioning vigorously for him to be quiet, and for a minute the meaning was lost on the younger sibling. Turning, his heart stopped as he realized why he was so freaked out. The youngest child of the family had his face pressed firmly against the window, his mouth gaping slightly as he looked at the stranger.

"EEP!" Mikey squealed, promptly vacating the premises. Just before he was out of earshot, he could have sworn he heard the kid frantically calling out, "Alex, Alex, come look! Come look at the tooth fairy! You never told me it was a giant green alien!"

* * *

The rest of the night had passed uneventfully, and before long they retired back to their respective homes. The next day Casey and April ventured out to her new favorite restaurant, the one they ordered from the night they announced her pregnancy. The place was busy when they entered, so they decided to simply order their food to go. Casey was in the middle of recounting what had taken place the night before when a familiar face arrived with their food. He recognized her as the girl screaming at her brothers to move so she could get a better look at the would-be burglars. Though he had seen her in the restaurant before, in all the commotion last night he hadn't made the connection.

"Here ya go, Ms. April. I had them put extra eggplant in the Mosama Bademjan, hope ya don't mind."

April smiled, "Not at all, Alex. I'm beginning to feel a little embarrassed that you're that familiar with my favorite dish. It was sweet of you, especially since you guys are so busy."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Most of these people aren't really even customers, just nosy family and neighbors hanging around since we almost got robbed last night." She leaned against the counter, adjusting the baseball cap she was using to keep her thick hair contained.

"Is everyone alright?"

"Oh yeah. The first time something interesting happens around here that isn't caused by one of my stupid cousins, and they're all passed out by the time we get outside. We never did find out what happened; police said they're not giving them a story that makes any sense. Can't tell if someone stopped 'em before they could get in, of if they were just drunks who got bored and fell asleep halfway through."

Casey laughed a little too loudly at this. Before Alex could go any further with her story, one of her brothers poked his head out from behind the kitchen door and told her she had another delivery to make. She said her goodbyes and disappeared, leaving April to stare at Casey.

"Hey," She pulled him aside as they were walking home. "What was that about back there? You looked uncomfortable."

"Nothing big, I just realized the place we found those Purple Dragons was actually outside their restaurant. Just caught me a little off guard, that's all."

"I don't know what disturbs me more: that realizing this caught you off guard, or that you never even knew where you were in the first place." They had made it back to the apartment; April plopped down on the couch to eat her food. She paused mid-bite, considering something seriously.

"You don't suppose there was a reason they were there, do you?"

He thought about it for a second, then shrugged it off. "No, not really. Like I said, it looked like some sort of initiation gig. Probably no real reason why the goons chose that place to begin with."

"Still, it worries me. They're such nice people, and it's so much worse with a young kid like little Misha living above the restaurant." Getting up, she walked over to him and laid her head against his chest. "Do me a favor, okay? Go by there tonight and just check up on the place, just to be sure. I know it's probably silly, but I'll keep worrying about it otherwise."

He smiled, embracing her gently. "Yeah, okay. I'll swing by there later with the guys and check it out. I mean, if this keeps happening, they might close down the place and move. Then where would ya go ta get all your weird eggplant stuff?"

She grinned, bouncing back to her spot on the couch. "That reminds me! While you're out, pick me up some more ice cream, we're out again."

* * *

 

"Remind me again why we have ta be here?" Raph was less than thrilled camping outside the restaurant and not shy about sharing it.

"Because it was  _your_ dumbasses that ate the last of my pregnant wife's ice cream  _again_ , so you're gonna park it until I can report everything's alright. That mint-chocolate stuff's the only thing that settles her stomach when she feels like she's gonna barf."

"Hey!" Donnie spoke up, "Technically Mikey was the one who polished it off last time, so really we shouldn't all be punished for his crimes. And, speaking of which, where is he?"

The youngest turtle, also bored with his latest mission, had snuck away to perch atop a different fire escape. Down below, he could hear the dialogue to his favorite show drifting out of the back door to the kitchen.

"Alexandra, are you watching television again?" A woman's voice, probably her mother's, interrupted the show. He leaned forward more, trying to catch the words. "You're supposed to be finishing your chores!"

"I am Ma!" The girl shouted back. One thing was for sure, they were not a quiet family. Suddenly, she appeared outside, carrying a bag of trash. The light from the kitchen brightened the ally, including his hiding place. To fix this, he had snuck to behind the dumpster, using the shadows to conceal himself while being close enough to listen to the tv. She paused just before reaching the dumpster, frowning slightly. She shrugged, and tossed the trash into it, turning to go back inside. Mikey strained to see around the doorway, just barely catching a glimpse of the tiny television sitting on the counter.

"Alex?" This time it was a quieter voice that called the girl. He saw the same small boy standing at the door, dressed in his pajamas and carrying a stuffed animal.

"What are ya doing out of bed, Misha?" His sister asked, picking him up. Before he could be taken to back inside, he peered around her shoulder, looking intently into the dark.

"I saw the tooth fairy again! I wanted to come say hello and thank you."

"Silly. The tooth fairy only comes when ya lose a tooth. Have ya managed to knock another one out so soon?"

"You also told me the tooth fairy was a tiny lady with wings that leaves you money. I saw him last night, Alex! He was big and green, and he stopped the bad men. And sometime before I woke up, he even left me money too!"

She stopped, looking amazed at his statements. "Misha, maybe Momma's right, and I need to quit letting ya watch all those shows with me. I think they're starting to give ya freaky dreams little guy."

He frowned, trying to wiggle free of her grasp. "Nuh uh! You're just sayin' that 'cause you're a grown up, and you're not allowed to believe that stuff anymore!"

Another colorful fight ensued, loud enough that Mikey could even hear them after the door was closed. He chuckled to himself; they had been called many things over the years, but giant green tooth faeries? That was a first.

"Hey knucklehead, what're ya doin'?"

Mikey jumped straight into the air, whipping out his nun-chucks and narrowly missing Raph's head. After he realized it was only his brother, he breathed deeply. "Gee Raph, you gotta quit doing that. One of these days you're going to catch one of these in the eye, and then you'll have to walk around with an eyepatch. Not very dignified for a superhero tooth fairy."

Raph's eyebrow twitched slightly, but he refrained from acting on the urge to ask him what the hell that last part meant.

"Come on. Bad enough I gotta freeze out here, not to mention havin' ta find your butt hindin' behind a dumpster. It's not like ya don't smell bad enough already."

He followed Raph, realizing their brothers had moved on without them. While they jumped from roof to roof he continued to think about the small child and his description of the turtles. His amusement was interrupted when his eyes caught the gleam of something down below in another alley. They had passed into an neighborhood that was less crowded than the one the restaurant inhabited. As he descended into the dim alley to investigate, Raphael protested.

"Hey, did ya not here me? I don't feel like spendin' any more time dumpster divin' with ya, Mike. Let's go, before someone sees ya."

"Raph," Mikey motioned him over, pointing to the object on the ground. When he got closer, he realized that it was a long, dark feather.

He looked at his brother. "So what? Ain't ya ever seen a feather before? Come on already."

Without saying anything, Mikey picked it up and help it close to his face. The feather seemed strange to Raph, standing stiff and shining as Mikey twirled it in his fingers. Without warning, he flicked his wrist and sent it flying towards the brick wall across from them. There was a slight clang, and for a moment neither said anything. It was lodged deep within the bricks, the remaining portion of it sticking straight out.

"What the hell are these?" Raph gingerly touched the edges of it; they were sharper than some of their own weapons.

"I dunno, but they weren't here last night." Mikey carefully picked another up. He swore abruptly and dropped it, the feather making a metallic ping as it hit the ground.

"Raph, there's  _blood_ on it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As before, I own nothing but the OCs


	3. Taking Flight

"I've never seen anything like this." Donnie examined the strange feathers under his microscope back in the lair. While he was able to identify the blood on them as human, the weapons themselves remained a mystery, much to his frustration. So far all they had managed to learn about them was that they were sharp and damn near indestructible. Nothing, from their own weapons to explosives, had been able to so much as scratch them. Now Donnie was sitting alone is his lab, muttering to himself as he tried dousing one with various chemicals to see if they had any effect on it.

His brothers hung back, unwilling to get too close to him when he got like this. Mikey in particular had already managed to mildly hurt himself igniting a small bomb, and had no desire to "help" any more at the moment.

"You know," He said, pouring cold water over his burned hand, "what if those are just some new weapons the Purple Dragons are carrying around?"

"These seem way out of their league. Plus, the Purple Dragons don't usually go for stuff like this. They like the blunt, cavemen type weapons." Leo pointed out.

"Or," Raph offered from his spot on the couch, "Maybe it's just another crazy ass object floating around this crazy ass city. Not like weird stuff doesn't pop up all the time. Hell, just flip through the news and ya find dozens of things weirder than some freaky feathers."

To prove his point, he flipped to the news channels. His plan backfired and proved it all too well, when a somber news reporter was recounting how a mutilated body had been discovered in an abandoned building. The victim's horrified girlfriend was still in complete shock and was unable to describe what had happened.

"Way to be depressing Raph." Mikey said, wrapping his hand. "Hey, has anyone checked on Donnie recently?"

Before anyone could answer, a loud boom resonated from inside the genius's lab. The topic of the strange feathers was forgotten for the time being as they went to rescue their brother from his own curiosity.

* * *

 

Alex wiped the sweat from her brow; this had been the first warm day they'd had in months. She had gone straight to her family's restaurant after school and had found the place to be even more chaotic than usual. Her eldest brother, working the kitchen that day, had a stack of deliveries ready for her the moment she walked in, and her work load hadn't lightened since then.

She stood on the sidewalk with her bike for a moment to check her next delivery. Smiling, she recognized it as the home of one of favorite new customers: Ms. April, who was currently expecting her first child. In addition to be extremely sweet, she always tipped amazingly when Alex delivered to her apartment. Plus, she almost always ordered one of her all-time favorite dishes. Anyone who had that great taste had to be an ok person in her book.

It was getting dark, and this looked like it would be her last delivery before her cousin took over the evening shift. She peddled a little bit faster, hoping to get back to the restaurant so she could sit down and eat herself. Working for her family's business meant she spent most of her day around delicious food, but rarely had enough time to do more than sneak a quick bite between jobs.

"Michelangelo," Splinter placed his hand on his youngest son's shoulder, interrupting the video games currently occupying his attention. "I was hoping you could take this to Ms. O'Neil. It's her favorite brand of tea."

"Um," Michelangelo quickly glanced around the room. All of his brothers were otherwise occupied: Raph simply wasn't there, Leo was training, and Donnie was still mildly obsessing over the strange feathers.

"Sure, sensei." He said, flashing a wide grin. If he hurried, he would be back in time for a marathon of the original Twilight Zone, something he had been looking forward to for the past week.

"I just got off the phone with Casey. He said that they were not expecting anyone, so he would just leave the window open for you."

"Hey Alex! You almost beat me." April smiled, not only because she could smell the delicious food coming from inside the paper bag, but also because she truly liked the girl herself. In addition to being punctual with her deliveries, Alex was a humorous, loud person, and April always liked chatting with her. It didn't hurt that because she ordered from the restaurant so frequently that they usually included extra portions in her favorite eggplant stew, which happened to be Alex's preferred dish as well.

"What's up, Ms. O'Neil? How ya feeling today?" Alex got off her bike and jogged up the stairs.

"Pretty good, actually. Still having some trouble with morning sickness, though."

"Huh. Ya know, my Ma swears that mint tea helps with the nausea."

"Uh oh." April rummaged around in her purse. "Alex, I don't have enough cash to pay you. Would you mind coming upstairs to the apartment?"

"Not at all. Here, give me your groceries, I can carry those, too." Alex, in addition to being genuinely helpful, was not above going the extra mile if it helped her with tips.

* * *

 

"Hey, Casey, you here?" Mikey poked his head through the window cautiously. Though it was starting to darken outside, it wasn't so late that he felt comfortable just hanging around outside.

"Hey man! That April's tea?" Casey appeared from the kitchen eating a bowl of mint-chocolate ice cream that looked suspiciously like April's favorite brand .

"This? Nah, just thought I'd drop in with a random box of dried leaves."

"Yeah, funny. Hand 'em over, smart ass."

"Hey, Casey?"

"What?"

"Is that April's ice-cream?"

"…Mikey, don't you dare tell her! Besides, we stocked up the other day, so it's not like she's gonna miss one bowl."

"So…then it's not like she'd miss two, right?"

"You are unbelievable, you know that?"

"I'm offended, Case! Especially since you're eating that after April explicitly asked you to leave her ice cream alone."

* * *

 

"Hey, Alex? Would you like a small cup of ice cream to go? Casey and I found a ton on sale the other day, so I've got plenty. I know it's been pretty hot out today."

"Really? I wouldn't say no to one."

They walked into the apartment and turned to enter the kitchen. Just as they were coming around the corner they could hear the two voices arguing.

"Look, I told ya: one bowl, no toppings, ya mangy turtle!"

"One bowl? That's the price of keeping a secret from the mother of your child? I should charge you an entire ice cream sundae! But I'm a reasonable man, Casey, so just pay up and I'll be on my way-"

Before any of them reacted, April and Alex found themselves face to face with Casey and Mikey. For a moment, no one talked while the situation just sunk in.

"What. The. HELL?!" Alex finally managed to force out, her voice growing louder and louder with each word.

"Alex, we can explain-" April tried to get her attention.

"Yeah, totally." Mikey held his hands up in an effort to seem harmless.

It had the opposite effect. With a shriek of utter terror, Alex flung one of the bags of groceries at him and proceeded to turn and flee. However, in her panic, her shoulder caught the corner of the doorway, sending her hurling into the opposite wall. Forgetting for a moment that he was the reason she was freaking out, Mikey rushed passed April and Casey to where she laid groaning.

"Woah, you alright?"

Alex tried to sit up, but she was still seeing stars from where she hit her head.

"Here, let me help you." He bent over, trying to steady her some. "There, that help?"

For a moment she simply looked at him, blinking a couple of times trying to clear her head. Her eyes widened all of a sudden, and with another scream she swung at him, punching him squarely in the face. While he was stunned she scrambled to her feet and tried to flee. April was quicker, and managed to catch her as she made it into the hall.

"Alex, please, you've got to calm down."

"Like hell I will! Let me go!" She struggled against April, but couldn't bring herself to strike her.

"Please, I'm begging you. Just let us explain."

"Seriously, I'm not gonna hurt you. Not since you totally disabled me with that right hook of yours." Mike still sat on the floor, gingerly rubbing the place Alex had punch. "You've got a mean swing, girl!"

Alex stopped for a moment, overwhelmed by the scene before her. Suddenly, a neighbor stepped out into the hallway.

"Is everything alright?" She asked, eyeing April.

For the rest of her life, Alex never knew what came over her at that moment. Maybe it was the look of utter desperation on April's face; that, or the recent blow to the head.

Whatever the reason, she responded without missing a beat. With a nervous laugh she said, "Yeah, just a misunderstanding, ma'am. Thought I saw this gigantic roach in there. I've got this thing about bugs; they make me go absolutely nuts. Turns out it was just an old wrapper, so false alarm. Sorry."

With one more glance back, the unconvinced neighbor went into her apartment.

"Alex-"

"Let. Go."

"Please, just give us a chance."

"Not gonna happen."

"I swear on my unborn child Alex, we're not going to hurt you. Please."

"But-"

"Please."

Alex stared at her for a moment. Slowly, she nodded her head. Letting go of her arm, April walked back into the apartment, Alex walking behind her. She closed the door, but refused to enter any further, leaning against it with her hand on the nob.

"You don't want to sit down?"

"Nope."

"Can I at least get off the ground?"

"Nope." Now she looked down at Mikey with this disturbingly calm expression. "Start talking people."

April, Casey, and Mikey looked at each other, completely at a loss at where they should begin. As usual, April took the lead.

"Ok, so I know this will be hard to believe…"

* * *

 

Alex walked slowly into her room, more tired than she could remember having been in a long time.

"So, you're not an alien?"

"Uh, no! Way cooler than that. Weren't you listening? I'm a freakin' mutant ninja turtle! One of a kind, too."

"What do you mean? You've got three brothers, idiot."

"Yeah, but none of them can compare to the sheer awesomeness that is me!"

"Guys, focus. Alex, I know this is all hard to swallow, but please, you have to trust us. Which kind of means-"

"It means not telling anyone you're friends with a giant talking turtle."

"…Basically…"

"Uh huh. Great."

She threw herself face first on her bed, trying to sort out what she had been told that night. Everything was beyond insane, and she had no trouble expressing this to them. Repeatedly. With firm instructions that she would prefer them to never bring this up again. As in, Mikey was a very nice giant talking turtle. But he was a talking turtle, nonetheless. Which meant that if they wanted take out, she would generously bring it to the front steps on their building, but not an inch further. Which, in her opinion, was handling the entire situation phenomenally.

As bad as it was, one thought came to her mind as she laid there. "From now on, they better tip me damn well every time they so much as pass me on the street

* * *

."

"Hey, what's up with your face?" Donnie, still smelling like smoke, glanced at Mikey from the kitchen table. His brother was currently at the fridge piling ice into a hand towel to hold against his bruised cheek.

"I fell."

"…On your face?"

"Yup."

"Do you realize that is one of the most cliché lies of all times?"

"Yup. You can either accept it, or listen to a story that will not only take forever, but also distract you from your newest project. Your choice."

Donnie paused for a moment. "Just tell me, is everything alright?"

"Trust me, everything's fine."

"It should worry me that you're telling me to trust you. But ok then."

"You did wonderful, Emma."

The girl beamed, eyes growing wide at the praise. "Really, Medea? You're not just saying that?"

"Of course not." She smiled from her spot above her. They were back at their hideout, perched in the rafters of the old building. Medea cocked her head to one side. "In fact, you have exceeded all my expectations. You're training has progressed much quicker than I had anticipated. So much, that I think we can continue to the next part of our plans. Helena, Ariel."

With a flutter of wings, two other beings emerged from the shadows and landed across from Medea. Their bright red eyes gleamed in the moonlight, standing out from their grey faces.

"I think it's time, my dears, that you two spread your wings and begin your jobs in full."

"When, Medea?" One of them asked, fanning her dark wings out.

She smiled. "Tonight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing but the OCs, reviews are appreciated!


	4. First and Second Impressions

"For the last time Mikey, don't bring drinks over here!" Donatello wrapped his arms around his workbench, as if to shield it from his brother's snacks.

"I'm not over it, Donnie. I'm workbench adjacent." He took a long slurp from his soda. Donatello could have sworn he made it extra loud and obnoxious just to be doing it.

"I don't care, either lose the drink or get out. Or you know what? Let's just stick with GET OUT!"

"Too late, I pick the first option. Rookie mistake." Mikey tossed the can towards the trash bin across the room. Before he could congratulate himself for an excellent shot, it was smacked at high velocity by a baseball bat that seemed to have materialized out of nowhere. With a shriek Mikey dropped to the floor, leaving Donatello to block the missile with one of his wrenches.

"First Mikey with his food, and now Raph using me for target practice?! What is the matter with you people?!" He raised himself out the chair, holding the wrench higher. Whether he planned to use it to threaten his brothers or to defend himself further was debatable.

"What? Not like I was aiming for ya, dork. Blame Mikey for movin' outta the way too soon."

"That's enough. Why aren't any of you ready for patrol?" Leo stepped into the lab, conveniently placing himself between Don and Raph. Mikey remained crouched while he groaned at the last part.

"Dude, it's so early. Are you sure we need to start now? You've already got us staying out later than usual." Since they had discovered the feathers two weeks ago, they had found them several other times during their patrols, but had been unable to locate the creature they belonged to. As a result, Leo had determined that finding whatever was leaving them became even more important each day.

"Very observant, Mike. You should use those excellent skills of deduction tonight while we're out looking for big bird." Donnie alone seemed to share Leo's determination for finding their mysterious creature, though his was born of innate curiosity more than anything. The feather's apparent indestructibility had been fascinating to him during the past few weeks, as he still wasn't able to determine what they were made of or what could damage them.

"Let's get a move on. The later we wait, the more feathers we seem to find. This thing might be waiting for it to get dark before it becomes active." On his way out, he snatched the bat out of Raph's hands, earning him a scowl in return. Out of all the brothers, Raphael was the least interested in discovering who or what had decided to leave feathers all over the city. He simply had a hard time imagining what real concern they warranted, and felt their time would be better spent on their usual foes.

Once they were outside, they began to make their regular circuit over the rooftops. The weather had finally become warmer, making their nightly errands that much more bearable.

Sudden movement caught Mikey's attention. Stopping, he squinted into the shadows just beyond a door that led to the roof. For a moment he thought he could hear a slight rustling that sounded distinctly like wings beating.

The next instant Raph was next to him, cautiously looking in the direction he was focused on. "What it is, bonehead? Ya see somethin' shiny?"

"Shhhh!" Mikey tried to creep closer, stopping all at once when they heard the strange rustling noise again. By now Don and Leo had noticed them, and were quietly observing from afar. Catching their eyes, Leo motioned for them to advance while they circled around.

Inch by inch they moved forward, until Raph and Mikey where just around the corner. Tensed and ready, the latter held a shuriken up and held his breath. At once all four sprang out, silent as they hurled their weapons at their unknown foe.

"AAAAHHH!" Mikey was knocked back by the half dozen pigeons suddenly freed from their cage while Raph cursed and swiped at them with his sais, missing the terrified animals. One of their projectiles had managed to break the flimsy lock while the others bounces off the sides of the container, releasing the birds upon their hapless intruders.

Donnie simply sighed, feeling more pity for the owner of the birds than for his brothers. Leo shook his head and turned his back to them, ready to continue on with the patrol.

"Hey, we were looking for something with feathers, right? Well, I wasn't THAT far off!" Mikey backed away from Raph even as he said it. He was so focused on his annoyed older brother and his clenched fists that he paid no attention to Leo, who still hadn't made any move to leave the roof or encourage them to follow suit. Donatello was the only one who noticed how he had stayed standing in one spot, staring into the dark sky.

"Uh guys…" He started towards Leonardo, trying to squint and see what had caught his attention. Mikey and Raph had progressed to one chasing the other around the roof shouting less than fraternal promises to his sibling.

Suddenly, Leo sent another shuriken into the sky. Before Raph could threaten Mikey one more time, a shrill and terrifying shriek rang out in the night. Every movement came to a halt as they instinctively held their weapons ready and Leo barked out, "Get ready!"

A dark shape came falling of the air, snarling and hissing as it descended. Donnie and Leo jumped backwards to narrowly avoid colliding with it as it crashed onto the roof. For a moment, none of them made a sound as it laid there groaning and wheezing from the force of the impact.

This was truly like nothing the brothers had ever seen, which in and of itself would have impressed them if they hadn't just seriously pissed it off. Its basic anatomy seemed humanoid, having dark grey skin all over and shaggy black hair on its head. From its knees down it was covered in a thick, scaly hide. Its feet consisted of three raptor like talons at the end of each leg: two smaller and straighter, with a much larger and curved third one that was held aloft similar to a sickle. Broad, black wings sprouted from the creature's back; blood dripped from one, a gift it had unwillingly and suddenly received from yours truly.

Lifting its head, it focused its bright red eyes on the four of them, hissing all the while. It pulled back its lips to revealed sharp fangs that flashed whenever any of them moved even slightly. To say the least, whatever this thing was it had not enjoyed how they had gotten its attention.

"Dude!"

"Da hell is that?!"

"Whoa!"

"Don't get too close." The creature locked its gaze onto Leo, growling as it tried to get up. "Don, please tell me you remember tranquilizers."

"Way ahead of you." Said brother was quickly load one into a dart gun, never taking his eyes off it. The creature looked at him now, eyes widening as it watched him. It shrieked again, and for a moment Donnie could have sworn it had understood him. He tried to hurry up, but before he could it was on its feet and flapping its wings in an attempt to fly again.

"Now Donatello!" Though it was still unable to fly, it still managed to dodge the darts in time. Before he could reload, it jumped up into the air and forward. It couldn't get far, and instead of flying it merely ended up coming down in the direction of Mikey, its talons spread out towards him as it came.

This time Mikey didn't scream as he dodged the attack and swung at it with his nunchaku. He managed to catch it on the wing that had been injured, sending it howling to the ground in pain. As it went down, it turned and raked his shoulder with the smaller but just as sharp claws on its hands, surprising him and for a moment stunning the turtle. It wasted no time in pouncing on him, using its powerful legs to pin his arms to the ground.

"Get offa him, ya overgrown turkey!"

Raph charged the monster, ramming his shoulder into its side and knocking it clear off Mikey. For a moment they grappled on the ground, until he managed to send it soaring over the edge of the building. Unfortunately, this was after it had managed to tear at his arms with its fangs and claws, leaving him bloody and yelping from the pain.

"Raph!" Donnie rushed over and hauled him up. Though his plastron and shell had offered much protection, blood began to run down his arms and drip from the gashes it had left. Mikey ran to his siblings as the genius pressed a handkerchief to the wounds, trying to make Raph stand still while he tried to look over the ledge where it had fallen.

"Mikey, get over here and help me!" Leo had taken off towards the alley with the intent on making sure it was immobilized before it could hurt anyone else. Before they could even reach the end of the building, it shot out and above them, moving too quickly for even Leo to hit.

"How the hell did it do that?!" Raph screamed, trying to shake Donatello off. Mikey sent his own missile flying after it, but to no avail. By now it was fading quickly into the dark sky. "A minute ago the thing could barely move!"

"Wait!" Donnie peered at where the creature had struck him. Though he was trying to insist he was fine, Raph was bleeding far too much from many of his injuries.

"We need to get him back and stitch him up, and you two can't take this thing alone." Don managed to sound authoritative even to Leo, who was scowling in the direction the creature had flown in.

"Donnie's right." He said reluctantly. "We were careless this time and it cost us. Mikey, follow us from behind and watch out in case it comes back. I'll help Donnie with Raph."

"It scratched up my arms, fearless, not my legs." He growled, attempting to move ahead on his own while holding the cloth to one arm. Donnie stopped him again.

"These are more than scratches Raph. Some of them are pretty deep wounds, so let us try to stop some of the bleeding until we can get back to the lair." With their combined efforts, he and Leo managed to apply pressure to some of the worst.

Eventually, they made it home and were greeted with a shocked April and Casey on their couch. The two had stopped in hoping to visit with friends they hadn't seen in weeks.

"Whad'ya do this time, Raph?" Casey tried to crack a smile, but he turned slightly pale at the amount of blood on his friend. Though he had gotten messed up before, the monster had managed to tear his arms up enough that it counted as one of his better injuries. April did better than that, turning to Donatello with a scrunched forehead. "What do you need?"

"Antiseptic. Second cupboard from the sink. And the red tin box next to it. He's gonna need stitches, and probably lots of them. Mikey, help him to the kitchen." He ran ahead and started to prepare his makeshift stitching kit. Over the years he had become proficient at patching up his brothers, but having April there to help had always been a blessing.

Splinter came silently into the room, fur standing up at the sight of his bloodied sons. Leo came forward as if to explain the situation, only to be met with a calm look that expressed the desire to wait until later. He laid a comforting hand on Raph's shoulders, who was trying not to yell out as Donnie began to pull the needle and thread back and forth.

"My son," He looked up at Michelangelo, who for once was standing there without speaking and with a concerned look on his face. "You are also hurt. Come closer."

Mikey looked at where the creature had torn at him. Compared to Raphael, his cuts were shallower and had already stopped bleeding. However, blood was still drying across his plasteron, making him look more injured than he actually was.

He smiled a little. "I'm fine, sensei. Raph was the one that dummied up while saving my shell." He looked uncomfortable, as if unsure how to be helpful.

"At any rate, you should clean your wounds so we can assess the damage." His father brought him a damp towel and insisted he sit. After he was sure he wasn't as bad off as his brother he returned to Raph's side.

Between Donnie and April, they were finally able to clean and dress Raph's wounds, though it had taken much longer than any of them would have liked. The result was that he was left exhausted and shaken, though he never would have admitted it.

"You should rest." Donnie stood firmly in front of his brother.

"I should go find that giant-assed pigeon and pluck its feathers. But that ain't gonna happen either right now." He growled as he got to his feet unsteadily.

"Raphael." His father's voice made him stop and turn. "If you insist on being present for the following conversation, you must rest while you do so." With a wearied expression, Raph sank back into his chair as they prepared to try and explain what had taken place that evening.

* * *

"Alex!" Casper Kotea stuck his head out of the kitchen, trying to find his sister in the crowded dining area. They had been particularly busy with the dinner rush that day, which meant she had been trying to help run food out to tables between delivering take out as well.

"Alex!" He yelled louder this time. In their restaurant, shouting was an acceptable form of speaking when they weren't completely slammed, and became an absolute necessity on a night like this when the kitchen had gone completely insane.

She finally emerged from a clump of bodies by the hostess stand, looking disheveled but like she was enjoying the rush. Alex always had thrived on noise and excitement, preferring to stay busy when she was at work.

"You've got an order for the O'Neil woman." He handed her the bag and ducked back into the kitchen to try and restore some sense of order among its occupants.

Alex frowned as she turned to leave. For the past couple of weeks after her encounter with Mikey the talking turtle, they had shown the good sense of not making any contact with her. Arriving at their apartment, she made good on her word and stood outside on the stoop after she buzzed them. April came down, looking tired and a little stressed. From the clothes she had on that day, it was obvious that her belly was getting bigger. For a moment Alex felt a little guilty at making a pregnant women walk up and down all those stairs just to get her dinner.

April smiled and greeted her almost shyly, to which Alex responded with a short, "Fine, how ya holdin up?" without even making eye contact.

Just like that she had been paid and was on her way back home. Walking back into the kitchen, she was met with a flurry of movement and even more screaming than usual as Casper chased one of her younger cousins around the room. Apparently, a serious miscommunication had resulting in the sleeve of his jacket being set on fire. As he ran shrieking towards Alex, she reacted with a scream of her own and tossed the nearest object at him. That happened to be a pot of water that they had been planning on boiling until said cousin became the human torch. While it managed to put out the fire, it also hit him hard enough that it send him flying into Casper. The two of them went down, bringing at least some of the excitement to an end.

Her brother pulled him up and inspected his arm. "You're fine, didn't even burn you that much. Go run your arm under some cold water." After he sent him off, he turned to her. "Way to not panic, Alex."

"Hey, I put out the fire, didn't I?"

"Let's just hope he doesn't have a concussion or anything. Hey," He called after her before she could escape into the more controlled chaos of the dining room. "Ma and Dad are going to visit Uncle Jack after we close up. You gotta watch Misha tonight." Their father's younger brother had only recently been sent home from the hospital from an emergency appendectomy.

She groaned, "C'mon Casper."

"I'm busy and he can't put himself to bed, so suck it up." He turned back to the kitchen. "Hey! If you're well enough to screw around then you're well enough to work. "

Ten minutes later he called her back while she was trying to run food out to an impatient couple.

"O'Neil just called. We messed up her second dish and sent the wrong thing. Run this over to her."

This time when she rang the buzzer, Alex had to wait a few minutes before she got a response. After she did, April's voice came through sounding a little distracted.

"I'll be down in a minute."

"Wait, Ms. April. I can bring it up."

There was a pause before she responded. "Ok, if you want to. I don't mind coming down though-"

"Don't worry about it."

She stood outside her door, not quite sure what to except when it opened. What she got was a tired looking woman with dark circles under her eyes.

"Thank you so much Alex."

"You don't have to thank me, we messed up the order in the first place." As she turned to leave, April stopped her."

"Alex? How late do you run deliveries?"

She took a few seconds to respond. "Only for about another half hour. My cousin gets back from school and takes over. Why?"

"Nothing. A friend of mine got hurt while out the other night. I guess I was just worried about you."

"Wow. So what, did he get mugged?"

"Kinda. He'll be alright, just a little banged up."

"Hope he feels better soon. Goodnight."

Later than night they had just finished with their last customers. Casper had left moments before, leaving Alex to start her chores in the kitchen while her youngest brother sat at a table coloring and watching tv. She was just about to take the trash out when she heard a knock at the door.

"We're closed." She shouted, but there was another knock. She wasn't sure if whoever was out there heard her over the noise of the television.

"We. Are. Closed!" She shouted louder.

She heard nothing else and assumed whoever it was left. Hauling the trash outside, she was about to dispose of it when she heard a voice from the fire escape.

"Um, Alex, right?"

Looking up she saw a dark figure crouched above her. Screaming, she threw one of the wine bottles she had in her hand at him, and started to run back inside.

"Wait, please, don't freak out!" The figure dropped to the ground in front of her. Bright blue eyes looked scared beneath a wide brimmed hat. He wore a trench coat that did little to hide his bulky figure. Before she could freak out again, he removed the hat to reveal a green, bald head.

"Geez, most people don't forget giant talking turtles." He grinned when she didn't renew her attack. Her brain was finally able to process the shock and she recognized him.

"What are you doing here?" She edged away slightly. He raised his hands to show he meant no harm, and to be ready in case she threw something else at him.

"Sorry, I tried to come by the front door, but you wouldn't open it, and April was feeling awful about everything, and I couldn't think of any way to help and she was really really really upset she forgot to pay you and seriously started to cry about it-"

"Ok," She finally stopped him. "You're going to have to slow down. What did April feel bad about again?"

"She said she forgot to pay you the second time you came over. She felt really bad about it for some reason. I wanted to do something to make her feel better, and on my way out I saw the cash she meant to give you on the table, and thought I could bring it over."

He beamed again while she just stared for a second. "Wait, why was she so upset? She didn't even owe me anything, we messed up the first order."

Mikey shrugged as he pulled the cash out of his pocket. "Dunno. I think she's just been stressed out lately. Whatever you do, don't ask if it's just pregnancy hormones. "

"You know," He started looking around, "I don't get why you're out here after those Purple Dragons tried to break in."

"I can't not take out the trash. The place will stink" She was starting to think she was insane standing here actually talking to him. "Wait, how did you know about that?"

"Who do you think stopped them in the first place?"

Her mouth fell open. "That was YOU?"

"Well, me and my brothers. But mostly me. It's kinda our job, fighting the bad guys with our awesome ninja skills."

"It's the tooth fairy!" Misha appeared in the doorway. Alex silently cursed, and took a few steps to catch her brother before he could freak out. He ignored his sister as he ran outside and skidded to a stop in front of Mikey.

"Woooooow." He said, looking up at the turtle in his Batman pyjamas.

Mikey smiled and knelt down so that they were at eye level. "Uh, tooth fairy?"

"You were here the night the bad guys came! And when I woke up the next mornin', there was a dollar under my pillow! That was you, right?"

"…Sure!" He decided to just go with it and enjoy the sheer adoration in Misha's eyes.

"Wanna come in and watch tv? Casper doesn't usually let me stay up this late, but Alex doesn't mind." He grabbed Mikey by the hand and started to pull him towards the door. Alex had been standing there wondering how much trouble she'd get in for raiding the wine in the kitchen. She snapped back to reality at Misha's invitation.

"Whoa there buddy." She stopped him before he could haul the much larger turtle any further. "The, uh, 'Tooth Fairy' is very busy tonight. He can't stay."

"But Alex!" Misha kept pulling despite what his sister said. In doing so he pulled Mikey's overcoat down some, exposing the gashes he'd received recently.

Misha gasped, but still held on tightly to his arms. "You're hurt!" Alex flinched when she saw the long cuts along his shoulders and collarbone. "Quick, come inside! I can take care of you."

"Misha!" Alex spun him around to face her now. "That's very sweet of you but he's leaving now-"

"Alex." He interrupted her, looking at his sister with a serious expression. "He's hurt. We have to help him."

Under normal circumstances she would have laughed at his tone, but at the moment she was something about it that made her uncomfortable. There are few things in this world that humble older siblings more than to have their younger brother or sister judge them on issues of morality. In Misha's mind, there was someone in front of them who was hurt, and he wanted to help them. It was as simple as that.

She sighed and let go of him. "Alright, fine. But only for a few minutes." Mikey looked confused until she stepped aside and motioned for him to come inside.

"Actually kid, I'm fine. Really, someone already patched me up-"

"You might as well come inside. He won't give up until you let him help." Alex shrugged her shoulders and walked back into the kitchen. Still a little stunned at what was going on, Mikey let Misha lead him inside and sat in the chair he pushed towards him. Then the child disappeared for the moment, leaving him and Alex staring awkwardly at the floor.

"So, um-" He looked everywhere but at Alex. "Nice place you got here."

She shoved her hands in her pockets and muttered thanks.

"Is that your family?" He motioned towards a collection of pictures taped on the wall.

"Yup. Well, most of it anyways. There's kinda a lot of us."

"Ah. Is that one of your brothers?" He gestured to one of her and a tall, fair haired boy. They looked like they were at a baseball stadium, grinning widely with their arms around each other's shoulders.

Before she could respond Misha hurried back into the room, a light strapped to his head and his arms full of Band-Aids and antiseptics.

"That's Alex's friend Robby." He said, climbing up on another chair so he could reach Mikey's shoulder. "He moved far away a few weeks ago and she's been sad ever since."

"Misha!" She hissed, turning bright red. He didn't seem to notice as he began sticking Band-Aids all over Mikey. Laughing, he forgot that he was supposed to be playing doctor and went through an entire box before Alex stopped him.

"Alright Buddy, your patient's all better now. It's time for bed."

"Thanks kid! These Batman Band-Aids sure do make me feel better." Mikey flashed him two thumbs up, but started to remove some of the ones on his face when Misha wasn't looking.

"G'night Tooth Fairy!" He called as Alex carried him upstairs. "Come back another night and we can watch tv!"

When Alex came down he was putting his coat back on. "Sorry for all the trouble." He placed the money on the counter.

"How  _did_ you get so torn up?"

He took a long time to respond. "My brothers and I got caught up with something the other night. You should see my brother Raph. He's way worse off than me, so I don't really have any room to complain."

Alex wondered if this had been what April was talking about earlier. She picked up the money and shuffled from one foot to the other. After thinking about it for a moment she shoved the money back into his hands.

"Thanks for bringing this by, but I don't feel right taking it since we messed up her order. Could you maybe sneak it back to her, or get her something to make her feel better?" He nodded as he accepted the money. "Awesome. Hope you and your brother feel better soon."

He grinned, looking more relaxed. "Thanks. Don't worry, he's already up and running. Nothing keeps us down for long!"

With that he stepped outside and was gone, leaving Alex to think that for a mutant, talking turtle, he was actually pretty nice.

Except for the faint smell of sewers that seem to hang around him. That would take some getting used to.

* * *

Medea hissed when the harpy returned and reported what had happened.

"You let them see you?!"

The injured girl flinched, refusing to meet her gaze. "I didn't mean to, it was almost like they were looking for me. Medea, these creatures, they weren't humans."

Medea stayed silent for a long time before she stepped forward and placed her hand on the other's shoulder, her gaze still boring into the crouched figure.

"Whatever these monsters are, they pose a great threat to not only us, but to our entire plan. Helena, come here."

Quietly, the other harpy flew to her side. "Yes, Medea?"

"Come with me tonight. We have work to do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing but the OCs, and as always reviews are appreciated!


	5. Revelations

Donatello taped another piece of paper to the wall. On it was a name of someone, along with information such as their age and residence. In all, there were now thirty pieces of paper on that wall.

Thirty names.

Thirty missing persons.

It had been a week since they had fought with the being that Donnie had started calling a "harpy". He had poured over his books for any and all information he could find on winged animals. To say he was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of it was an understatement. Nearly every culture mentioned at one point or another mentioned a creature similar to what they had seen. Sometimes these beings were portrayed as holy protectors, while others saw them as demonic forces of darkness. Whatever the case was, he had made little progress in figuring out whatever the hell they were actually dealing with. It didn't help that they hadn't seen it since the night it had torn into Raphael.

Of all the people that had gone missing, there seemed to be no common factor in ages, occupation, race, or religion. In fact, the only similarity at this time was that all were women.

Leo walked over to him and scowled at his project, almost as if he could intimidate the problem into solving itself.

"Nothing?"

"Absolutely less than nothing. We've got everything from a woman from Wall Street to a kid from Spanish Harlem. I can't make out anything that connects them."

Leo frowned. "Which means we can't predict where it's going to go next."

"Not like we had too much trouble finding it last time." Raph walked into the room, making no effort to be careful around Donnie's hard work.

"This is gettin' us nowhere. Ya tryin' to solve this like a math problem, geniuses. We all saw that thing; it ain't nothin' but an animal, pure and simple."

"Just what to want us to do?" Leo kept his voice calm as he picked up the discarded paper. "It can't be as mindless as you're trying to paint it. Since that night it's obviously been avoiding us. With its speed and range, that can't be too hard for it to do."

"Leo's right. It's going to be practically impossible to find this thing without some way to track it. Which,  _genius_ ," Now Donnie stood in front of Raph, "is exactly what we're trying to do. Unless you want to just stomp around in the dark looking for it so you can need even more stitches."

Raph clenched his fists, but said nothing when he saw their sensei enter. Splinter looked around, their silence doing little to hide the conflict that had taken place just before he walked in.

"My sons, where is your brother? I have not seen Michelangelo for some time now."

Donnie groaned loudly. "He was complaining about wanting some pizza before patrol tonight. Last I saw, he was looking for his trench coat and hat."

"Doesn't he know it's too dangerous to be going out alone now? What if that thing comes looking for him?"

"Yeah, fearless." Raph said as he walked away. "I'm sure bonehead thought those things through before he snuck outta here."

* * *

Alex laughed with her friends as they sat in her favorite pizza parlor. Tonight was her night off from the restaurant and she was happy to have a break from it. Two weeks ago her best friend had moved away, leaving her feeling lonely and a little depressed. Going out to relax and enjoy herself was exactly what she needed.

Her phone began to ring, a sure sign that it was one of her parents; her mother in particular had an almost superstitious hatred for texts, preferring to just call someone and tell them what she needed to say. Excusing herself, she got up and walked to the front of the place to answer the phone. Sure enough, it was her mother calling to ask how late she would be, and to remind her again not to make any plans for tomorrow after school. Alex listened and responded quickly, just wanting to hang up and get back to her friends. Before she could take more than two steps, a figure at the counter caught her eye. There was something about the broad, almost abnormal shape hidden under the heavy coat that made her look twice.

When the person turned around, their blue eyes met hers, and she instantly realized who he was. She waited by the door, edging away from the crowd as he approached.

"What are you doing here?" Her whisper was not very well concealed. He laughed nervously, his voice muffled by the scarf he kept wrapped around his face.

"Dude, I was about to ask you the same thing."

"What do you mean? Just because I work in my family's restaurant doesn't mean I want to eat there all the time."

She watched his eyes crinkle, guessing he was smiling. "Fair enough. My brothers and I come here all the time for takeout. Best pizza within 50 blocks."

"Well, at least you have good taste." She suddenly remembered something that had been bothering her. "Hey, did you have a comic book with you the other night? I found one in the kitchen after you left."

He straightened quickly. "Yes! I've been freaking out thinking I'd lost it."

"Come by later tonight, I'll meet you in the alley and you can pick it up."

He swore under his breath. "Um, I'm not even supposed to be here right now. My brother Leo's gonna kill me when he finds out I snuck out before patrol. He's probably gonna keep me late, too."

Alex refrained from asking which brother that was. "Tomorrow's Sunday, so we're closed the entire day. Can you come before your 'patrol?' About 8:00 or 9:00?"

He thought about it for a few seconds. "That'll work. Thanks, Alex!"

"Hey Alex?" One of her friends was walking towards her, eyeing Mikey suspiciously. He picked up his pizza, whispering goodbye as he left.

"Who was that?"

She shrugged her shoulders and pushed her hair out of her face. "No one, just a regular from the restaurant. He's harmless. Hey, did our food finally come?" She returned to her party, thinking she had definitely lost her mind this time.

* * *

Mikey wasn't disappointed by the greeting he received upon arriving home. After they'd managed to pry Raph off him, they set off on patrol. As a result of them having to wait on their little brother, Leo insisted on staying out later than they had in weeks, which meant that Mikey gave one brother in particular a wide berth for the rest of the night.

Once again, their efforts to find anything useful were wasted. Well, they did stop a couple of petty crimes and an attempted break in, but nothing new was discovered about the creature. Leo was right; whatever it was, it had the sense to avoid detection. And that made them worry even more.

They returned back to the lair only a couple of hours before sunrise. All went straight to bed, with the exception of Leo stopping briefly to inform Splinter of the night's events, and slept for most of the day. That evening Mikey stumbled out of his room. Leo was meditating, Raph was lounging on the couch, and Donnie was muttering to himself in his lab. Quietly, he left a note in the kitchen and slinked out. It was already dark by the time he made it to Alex's. Before he could duck into the alley, a pebble flew over his head. He looked up and saw Alex standing on the roof of her building, motioning for him to join her.

"Way to be late."

"Hey, cut me some slack. You tend to sleep a lot when you spend your nights protecting the city from the forces of evil."

"As excuses go, that one's not half bad." She laughed as she tossed him his comic book.

"So, let me get this straight. Mutant turtle?"

"Yup."

"…Trained as a ninja?"

"Uh-huh."

"Who spends his nights roaming the rooftops of New York fighting crime with his brothers, who are also mutated, talking turtles with ninja super powers?"

"You seem to be taking this better."

"I'm in denial." They both laughed. She ran her fingers through her hair, a trait he was beginning to notice. It was thick and curly, and the way she combed her fingers through it only worsened the frizziness.

"Isn't someone gonna notice you're gone?" He asked, looking around.

"Nope. My parents and Casper are over at my uncle's and my little sister's pretending to do homework. That leaves me in charge of Misha. Again."

"You have to watch him a lot?"

"Meh, enough I guess. It's no big deal,; he  _is_  my baby brother."

"Man, I know how that feels."

"Getting stuck babysitting?"

"No, being the baby brother."

She leaned against the doorway. "So you're the youngest? I'm the middle child."

"Donnie's our middle child."

"Is he the one who got banged up?"

"No, that was Raph. Get your facts straight!"

She smiled. "Ok, geez. Sorry. Hey, I just made Misha a snack. Want something to eat before you go looking for trouble tonight? I'm sure he'd love to see you again."

"What about your sister?"

"Last I checked, she was chatting online with her boyfriend. Trust me, she won't be coming out of her room for a while."

"Well ok then!" He jumped off the ledge and started towards the stairs. Alex stopped him. "Nuh-uh. Back door."

She was right. Misha squealed with delight when Mikey walked into the kitchen. He forgot about his snack completely as Mikey picked him up and threw him in the air. The excited child dragged him over the table to show him his latest artwork.

Alex walked over with two slices of left over pizza. When he reached for one, she snatched it back.

"This pizza's gonna cost ya." She grinned as she sat down with him. "Alright ninja turtle. So tell me more about these forces of evil you're protecting us poor mortals from."

* * *

The next month went by quickly. Over that time Mikey got to know Alex better and began to see her as more than the freaked out teenage girl who had assaulted him during their first meeting.

She was the second of four children, with an older brother who was expected to take over their family business. Her mother was the child of Persian immigrants from pre-revolutionary Iran and had married her father soon after graduating from college. Alex was currently in her senior year of high school and planning on taking courses at the local community college like her brother Casper. Her best friend since kindergarten had moved recently. Mikey found out that he had often kept her company on the nights she was stuck helping out at the restaurant or babysitting Misha, which happened often. He couldn't exactly hang around during the dinner shift like Robby had done, but he was more than happy to visit before patrol.

His brothers mostly stayed wrapped up in their own worlds to notice that Mikey was gone for an hour or two every other day. Leonardo and Donatello in particular were busy trying to locate the creature, so for the most part they were satisfied if he managed to show up on time before they went out for the night. A few times he could have sworn he caught Raphael looking at him funny when he got home, but he dismissed it as him being perpetually annoyed. Although he wasn't into analyzing every bit of data the way Leo and Donnie were, his temperamental brother was now equally invested in finding whatever had torn into him and pay it back with interest.

If Mikey was completely honest with himself, he would have admitted that he was starting to feel left out. He understood the importance of stopping that thing before it could hurt anyone else and still harbored feelings of guilt that his brother had been one of those injured. At the end of the day, however, he still wanted the chance to relax and talk about subjects that didn't include flying monsters. Which meant he felt too guilty when he saw how hard his brothers were working to seek that kind of interaction from them. Instead, he turned to his new friend, who was eager to just have fun and kid around.

They ran into a problem when Alex's uncle was recovered enough from his surgery that her parents began to hang around the restaurant at night. Under normal circumstances, Mikey would have finally introduced her to the rest of his family and convinced them that their friendship posed no threat. Given the current situation, he doubted that they would be very pleased to find out that this was how he was spending his free time.

Alex came up with the idea of meeting on the roof of her building from then on. She dragged a small desk and a couple of chairs up there and announced to her family that she preferred to study up there some nights to enjoy the nicer weather they were having. Mikey never really knew if they believed her or not, but by and large they left her alone. On the rare occasion someone would come up there, he was able to duck into the shadows until they were gone. They were not a stealthy family by any means, so it wasn't hard to hide before they got up there. In addition to this, on the nights that Mikey was unable to visit, Alex managed to convince a few of her human friends to join her on the roof, further validating her claims.

"So, they were made of stone? But…still alive?"

"Yeah! Immortal guys are the worst. I'm surprised you're more interested in them than the monsters. You should have seen the last one!"

"Ha. You've obviously never worked a dinner rush before. I've seen plenty of monsters in my life. Living stone people? That's a first. Hey, before you leave go say goodnight to Misha. He's been bugging me about you."

She went downstairs and opening his window, signaling him that it was all clear. He slipped into the room Misha shared with Casper, who was still out at this point.

"Mikey!" Misha hugged him.

"Hey kid? How ya been?" As he pulled back, Mikey noticed something sitting in the bed next to the child. Laughing, he picked up the small stuffed turtle.

Alex smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "He kept talking about you to other people. Not like they were gonna believe a hyperactive three year old going on 'bout a giant talking turtle, but I thought it was a good idea anyways.

"Now I have my own ninja turtle! He stays with me when you're busy fighting bad guys. Mikey?" Now he looked worried. "You don't ever get  _really_  hurt, do ya?"

"Nah, cuz I'm awesome at what I do." He hugged him one more time. "Get some rest, kid. Don't worry about me. The Battle Nexus Champion is invincible!"

"Hey, Battle Nexus whatever-" Alex tapped him on the shoulder. "Casper's gonna be here any minute. And aren't you late to meet up with your brothers?"

Mikey laughed and waved goodbye as he jumped out the window and made his way home.

"Hey!" Donnie was the first to meet him at the lair. "Where have you been? Believe it or not, we don't enjoy waiting on you."

"Sorry, lost track of time."

"Where were ya anyways?" Raph glared at him.

"…Went to get some pizza."

"Funny, I don't smell any on ya. Usually you come back reeking of that stuff." He moved closer and sniffed the air around his brother. In response to that, Mikey belched loudly in his face and grinned.

"Smell it now?"

Five minutes later, they were happy enough that Raph let go of Mikey that they forgot about the latter disappearing earlier.

"Are you two finished?" Don's expression made it clear there was only one right answer to that question.

"Good, now listen up. We're making absolutely no progress looking for this thing. We didn't want to have to do this, but given its mobility and range we're going to have to split up. This means under no circumstances are any of us to engage it if and when we find it. Let me repeat that last part." He looked at Raph. "If you manage to spot it, you will first alert the rest of us,  _then_  fire this tracking device at it after we all arrive. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. After we have a way of finding it consistently, we can observe it and figure out the best way to deal with it."

"Uh, Donnie?" Mikey held up the little gun-like contraptions his brother at just handed all of them. "Won't this just make it angry? Last time we threw something at Big Bird it didn't seem to like it very much."

"These aren't darts, but highly discreet tracking devices with powerful adhesive. Unless you shoot it in the eye, the creature shouldn't notice."

"So you all know what the plan is, right?"

"Can we just go now?" Raph spun his sais, impatient to start.

"Just don't do anything stupid." The red-banded turtle was gone before he could even finish. Leo muttered something under his breath before heading off as well.

They had only been separated for about an hour when Donatello's voice rang out on the shell cells. "I've found it. Get over here." He gave them his location. Not a minute later they heard him again. All of their hearts beat a little faster when their brainy brother swore. "Guys, be careful. It's not alone."

Mikey ran into Raph a few rooftops from their destination. The latter was moving quickly, but Mikey could see the worry on his face, or at least what worry looked like on him.

"Don?" Mikey kept low as they moved towards where Donatello was hiding. He saw him crouched with Leo not far off, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. They silently made their way towards them, no one saying anything at Leo pointed at an old church next to them.

There were three of them. At first they looked like gargoyles, but every now and then they would shift positions slightly or move their heads. They could hear them whispering, but none of them could make out what they were saying.

"So they can talk." Mikey breathed. Donatello slapped his hand over his mouth as Leo prepared to take aim.

Suddenly, the smaller two leapt from their perches and flew off. Leo would have fired as they left, but it disturbed him that the third one had made no move to leave. It sat there for a few minutes, staring up at the sky. A breeze blew its dark hair out of its face, revealing an expression that for a moment seemed almost human.

Stretching its wings, it seemed ready to launch itself off the building. He fired at the base of her wings; for a moment, she shook herself, almost like she was ridding herself of a bug that had landed on her. Apparently satisfied she was free from it, she flew off, leaving them to watch her fade into the sky.

For a long while the brothers sat there without saying anything, tensely aware of their surroundings. They had been successful in what they came out to do that night, but their recent discovery made it obvious that this problem was far more serious and dangerous than they had originally thought.

* * *

 

Somewhere, far away from the turtles, the harpy known as Helena landed in front of Medea. Without saying anything, she raised one of her wings. Medea placed her hand on her back where the wing sprouted, feeling the inconspicuous tracker stuck to it.

Up in the rafters hisses and screeches rang out. Numerous pairs of red eyes, bright even in the darkness, saw it as well.

Medea hushed them all. "Trust your mother. Helena, you did very well, but don't remove that just yet. I still have plans for them."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the drill: I own nothing but the OCs. Thanks for reading, comments and reviews appreciated!


	6. No One Else

_Beep_

"There it is." Donnie breathed a sigh of relief when the sensor picked up the signal. His brother's crowded around him, examining the small blinking light.

"It's moving." Mikey observed, leaning his face in closer. Raph smacked the back of his head, causing his snout to collide with the device.

"Nice observation, bonehead."

"Watch it Raph!" Donnie snatched the sensor away to prevent Mikey from getting even more snot on it.

"Don, where's it going?" Leo ignored his other brothers.

"If people would shut up for more seconds I could tell you…it looks like it's heading north-east, and quickly, too."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Raph broke apart from their huddle. "Let's go already."

"Wait a minute. Remember, we're just going to observe them. We need to come up with a plan before trying to fight them, especially now that we know they're not alone."

"Whatever you plan to do, we'd better hurry up." Donnie frowned. "It's moving fast."

No more words passed between the brothers as they took off in the direction of the creature, making sure to watch for any surprise attacks as they tracked it. Before long they spotted open water, causing Leo to ask Donnie if he was certain this was the right direction.

"It's too far ahead of us to see, but it's dead ahead." They stopped when they reached the edge of the water and stood atop a warehouse. "Wait, it's changed direction…it's heading east now."

"So it's flying out over the water?" Mikey rubbed the back of his head, looking confused.

"Not exactly." Donatello messed with the controls on the device in an effort to keep the signal strong, and for a few moments all they heard was the beeping of the machine. Suddenly, his head snapped up. "Pelham."

"Uh, come again dude?"

"Pelham Islands. A group of small islands that run parallel to Manhattan and are mostly uninhabited." Now the genius held the tracker out for them to see. "Look. It's stopped moving."

"Can you tell where it is?"

"I have its coordinates, if that's what you mean. But unless any of you feel like hotwiring a boat, we're not going to be following it any further."

"You make it sound like that's not an option." Raphael was not pleased at the prospect of having to give up the chase.

"Call me crazy, Raph, but I'm not exactly in any hurry to follow these things out onto a freaking rock in the middle of the bay."

"Don's right. We thought we were just dealing with one of them before. We need to think this through before we go charging it. What if something happens and we need to get out of there quickly? What are you going to do, out swim it?"

Raph opened his mouth to reply, but Donnie stepped in between his brothers before they could start arguing. "Look, we know where this one is. Its friends can't be far. We came out here tonight to find a way to track it and we've succeeded. We'll get it eventually, but right now we need plan our next course of action."

A few long, tense beats passed until Raphael turned and started back. Leo didn't say anything but followed his sullen brother, leaving Mikey and Don alone of the roof.

"Hey Don?" Mikey looked around, his voice quiet. "We thought there was just one. Now we saw three; what's to say there isn't more of them? What are we gonna do then?"

Donatello's mind flashed to the first time they found the creature. The image of Raph's torn arms, inflicted when they fought just one that had already been injured, made his stomach hurt. "I don't know Mikey. We'll figure something out." He smiled weakly and put his hand on Mikey's shoulder. "C'mon, let's go home."

Halfway back to the lair, Mikey's thoughts wandered to Alex. She had taken to running deliveries later at night since her cousin had been preparing for finals. While she was using his car instead of her bike, he panicked at the thought of his friend out with the creatures. All he could think was how they had hurt his brother, a person skilled in combat. Whether or not it was a rational fear, by the time he returned home he was convinced he needed to go warn Alex to be careful. Could she fight back against any of those things? Probably not, but she was smart enough to never let it get to that point if she knew what to look out for.

With all the night's excitement, it took some time before the rest of his family finally went to sleep. When it seemed like the coast was clear, he crept out and made his way to Alex's apartment as quickly as he could. It was already past 3:00am when he got there, which made him even more grateful that Alex had the bed by the window and that her sister was a heavy sleeper.

"Da hell is wrong witcha, Mikey?" She blinked like an owl and scowled at him, feeling less than enthusiastic about this late night visit.

He motioned for her to be quiet and pointed towards the roof. There was something about his tired, worried expression that made her feel uneasy. When she finally made it up there, disheveled and in her ratty bathrobe, he was pacing back and forth and occasionally looking up into the sky.

"What's going on?" She didn't sound mad anymore, just concerned. Shining a flashlight in his face, Alex wondered what had happened to make him so upset.

"You remember those things I told you about? The one's my brothers and I have been trying to find for a while?"

"Things?" Alex was still a bit groggy to be following his train of thought. "Yeah, the one that hurt one of ya brothers-"

"That's right. We went looking for it tonight and-"

"Wait, no one else got hurt, did they?"

"Just listen! We found it, but the thing wasn't alone. It had a couple of buddies with it, and when we tried to follow 'em they flew off towards these islands and we couldn't follow and we can't do anything else right now and for all we know there's, like, a whole army of freaky big birds and-"

"Mikey, you need calm down." Alex put her hands on his shoulders. He was breathing hard and fast, though she guessed it was mostly from exhaustion. "Now, this time, explain it using words a normal person can understand."

He took a deep breath and went through the whole story, and now Alex's sleepy eyes widened in surprise.

"Ya gotta be more careful when you're out delivering food, Alex. Don and Leo really think these things have something to do with all those people going missing."

"Based on what?" Alex asked after a pause. She cocked her head to the side. "Mikey, it's sweet you came to warn me. But what makes you think they're actually dangerous? You told me last time your brother attacked it first."

"You've just gotta trust me on this one." He insisted, his voice rising a little. Alex noticed that he looked a little scared. "You didn't see how it messed up Raph last time, and he's one of the best fighters I know."

"Oh," Now she looked angry. "So the only reason you came here tonight was that I'm so weak and helpless that bad guys are gonna flock ta me. Is that it?"

"No, I just wanted to make sure you'd be safe-"

"Like I don't already do that? The way you talk it sounds like I'm some idiot who goes around wanderin' in dark alleys and talkin' ta strangers. I deliver food, Mikey; I walk from the car to the building and back again. You guys are the idiots that won't leave these things alone, so don't lecture me about being safe." Mikey thought for a moment that she looked worried. "They do sound like mean bastards ta fight, but you guys seem ta be lookin' for one. Just leave 'em alone, please. Ya told me ya were lucky to get away with these," She pointed to the still healing scabs on his chest. "I don't wanna see ya get hurt even worse, bonehead."

"Gee, Mikey. Ya girl really seems worried 'boutcha hide."

Both of them had been too distracted with each other to notice the figure standing in the shadows behind Mikey. Alex shined her flashlight on it and saw bright amber eyes glaring at them.

"Easy! Easy!" Mikey tried to grab her, knowing that she didn't handle surprises well. It was too late, and it was all he could do to duck the missile she sent flying towards his brother. The latter had no trouble getting out of the way of the flashlight, and before the orange banded turtle could chase after his friend he found himself in a tremendous headlock.

"Where ya runnin' off t-HEY!" He released his brother and jumped back before Alex could hit him with…whatever she had picked up off the ground.

"Stop Alex! It's just my brother!" Mikey grabbed her hand and took what looked like a discarded broom handle out of her grasp.

"Your what?!" She struggled against his hold, staring bug eyed at a less than pleased Raphael. The aforementioned turtled growled at them, looking cranky at the scene before him.

Mikey gulped audibly. "Um, Alex, meet Raphie. Raph, Alex."

* * *

"So that's where you've been running off to."

"Yeah, goin' ta visit his girlfriend."

"What on earth were you thinking, Mikey?"

"Oh knock it off guys!" Mikey rarely ever snapped at people, but the three pairs of accusatory eyes were making him defensive. "And she's not. My. Girlfriend." Raphael snorted at this addendum.

After the rather interesting introduction between Raph and Alex, Mikey had his rear end dragged back to the lair almost before he could say goodbye to the shaken human. Once there, Raph had revealed his secret to the rest of the family. Saying they were surprised at this revelation was an understatement and slightly inaccurate for some of them.

"Whatever she is, he's been out goofin' around with some chick while we've been workin' on findin' these monsters."

"I have not! I've been there helping you guys every step of the way! I'm just not obsessing over them every waking moment the way you are, Raph."

"All of you, that is enough." Splinter stepped forward, his eyes locked on Michelangelo. "You have been lying and keeping secrets from your brothers, Michelangelo, and for that they have a right to be upset. However, I am curious as to why you did so."

"I don't know, maybe because I thought they might overreact." He stared at one in particular.

"That does not excuse your dishonesty, my son."

"Or the fact that you've put our family at risk by associating with some random human." Leo interjected.

"She is not 'some random human'! April and Casey know her, too." Mikey bit his tongue after that. He hadn't mentioned to either of their friends that he and Alex had kept in contact, fearing that they would bring it up in front of his family. In fact, they had all agreed to let the issue drop after his very first encounter with Alex, given that at the time she had wanted nothing further to do with him

"Huh?" Donnie perked up. "What are you talking about?"

"I think," Splinter interrupted. "Michelangelo had better explain himself from the very beginning. Four pairs of eyes waited for a reply, and Mikey nervously began to supply one. At the end of it all, he was met with silence for a few moments.

Then, "Michelangelo, follow me." Splinter turned and walked into the dojo. "Everyone else wait out here."

Inside, Mikey refused to meet his gaze.

"Kneel, my son. I do not condone your dishonesty towards your brother and myself. However, I can understand that with everything that has happened these past weeks you would seek out a friend for peace and refuge from the chaos. Unlike Leonardo, I do not consider this girl a threat, especially if April and Casey do know her, as you've said."

"They'll totally vouch for Alex, sensei, I promise."

His eagerness was cut short by Splinter. "I will look into that, my son. However, you cannot shirk your responsibilities in favor of a new friend. It is true that you have made sure to be there for every patrol with your brothers, but you have not truly participated in either locating these creatures or learning more about what they are. Both weaken your ability to function as a team effectively, and because of this, you will be disciplined."

Mikey winced visibly, but noticed that his master's eyes softened. "I will not forbid your friendship, my son. However, I will speak to Ms. O'Neil and Mr. Jones, and I would like to opportunity to meet this person. From now on, your primary focus will be on assisting your brothers, but you may continue to spend time with this…"

"Alex."

"Alex. My son, I must ask you a question that you must be completely honest about. What is the nature of your friendship with this girl?"

Mikey looked confused. "The nature…?" He trailed off, wondering what his father meant. When it finally dawned on him, he felt his face turn bright red.

"Oh! You mean-no, sensei, nothing like that. Don't listen to Raphie. Alex is great and she's my friend but-" He pictured her standing there, laughing at the very question Splinter had just asked. It seemed so ridiculous that he actually smiled a bit. "She's just a friend. There's nothing else between us, and trust me, we plan on keeping it that way."

He didn't say it out loud, but he had always suspected that Alex had feelings for her friend Robby and that this prevented her from developing them for someone else anytime soon. Which suited him just fine, as it eliminated any possibility of something altering their friendship.

As for Splinter, he was relieved to hear this. He worried about what could result from his son developing feelings for a human who, however nice, would be unable to return them.

He relaxed slightly. "Very well. Your punishment is this: you will clean the lair completely, under my supervision and to my standards," Mikey held back a groan, as this meant the project would require multiple days to complete. "and from now on you are to be Donatello's personal research assistant."

"Say what?!" Donatello was unable to quiet himself and revealed that he and Raphael had been eavesdropping by the door, a fact that Splinter most likely already knew. "I thought he was supposed to be the one getting punished, not me."

* * *

Needless to say, Alex had not slept well after they left. Casper had asked her over breakfast if she had heard someone screaming last night. She had bolted up in her chair, said "no" a little too sharply, and then proceeded to shove the rest of her cereal into her mouth so quickly that she began to choke on it. After she could breathe again, she ran out saying she was late for school, leaving her brother to wonder what had made her so jumpy.

The restaurant was packed that evening, as they often were on Fridays. For a while, she was able to forget about the previous night and focus on her work. This reprieve was short lived however, because halfway into the night an order was put in for April O'Neil. Alex made her way to her apartment and started up the stairs. While she was already tired, she still couldn't bring herself to made April walk up and down the stairs with her growing belly.

When she reached her door, she could hear her and Casey's voice coming from inside. She was about to knock when two other voices made her stop. One was clearly Mikey's, but the other was completely foreign to her. It was deep, slightly raspy, and for a moment made her consider turning around and leaving altogether.

Before she could make up her mind, the conversation stopped abruptly and she heard footsteps coming towards her. The next second April opened the door with a tense smile.

"Hey Alex. Um, this is going to sound weird, but could you, um, come in for a sec?"

Mikey's head suddenly popped around the corner. He waved to Alex and motion for her to come in.

"Is anyone gonna sneak up from behind me like last night?" She didn't even bother lowering her voice at this point.

"I assure you, miss," The unknown voice answered her, "I have no intention of startling you. Please, join us."

April waited for Alex to scream or throw something or run away. Instead, she stared into the apartment, and after a few seconds walked in and through to the living room.

She did gasp when she saw the giant rat sitting on the couch and Michelangelo standing behind him. He looked up and spoke gently so as not to alarm her.

"I am glad that I finally have the opportunity to meet you, my dear. Please forgive my son for last night. While it may not seem like it, Raphael did not mean to frighten you so."

Behind him, Mikey began to shake his head and make gestures that suggested otherwise. Without ever looking away from Alex, the rat brought his cane up in a swift motion across Mikey's head. Alex giggled before she could stop herself, causing the tension in the room to relax slightly.

Mikey came around and stood in front of her. "Uh, Alex, this is my sensei, Splinter. I've told you about him before, right?"

"I think so." She shifted from one foot to the other. "Nice to meet you, sir."

No one said anything after that. Alex looked around and turned back to Mikey. "You didn't tell your family about me, huh?"

"Um…"

"Right. I can't say I'm mad. Not like anyone in my family knows 'bout you. Except for Misha, but he doesn't count. Well, after last night Casper may or may not know because we made a lot of noise and I swear he was giving me the third degree this morning and-"

"Alex." April nudged her before she could ramble further.

"Yeah. Sorry."

Splinter smiled and stood up. "There is no need to apologize." He didn't mention that before she had arrived April and Casey had been convincing him of how Alex could be trusted and that she wasn't going to run to the first news station blabbing about her giant talking turtle friend. Now, after having actually seen her in person, he was at least satisfied that she had told no one up until this point except her younger brother, a fact Mikey had already mentioned.

"I am sorry to say that Michelangelo and I must be leaving, though. We have business to attend to today before he joins his brothers tonight." Mikey made a face that was a cross between despair and disgust. "However, his brothers and I would like to better make your acquaintance. You are welcome in our home any time, Ms. Alex."

"Thanks." She responded automatically, wondering how much of that actually was an offer. Mikey hung back slightly.

"Uh, sensei, can I catch up to you? I'll be quick, I promise."

"Very well, Michelangelo. Have a good evening everyone." And with that Splinter slipped out the window.

Once he was gone Alex let out a long, held in breath. "Thanks for the heads up guys."

"Sorry, after Raph blabbed I was kinda in hot water. Master Splinter wanted to meet you and make sure you weren't gonna sell me to some place to be dissected."

"Don't be so sure I won't. I'm still pissed about last night."

She smiled while she said this, making sure he knew it was just a joke. "Hey, I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have been such a jerk 'bout ya tryin' to look after me."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I guess I can forgive you, especially if you buy me a large pizza with the works…"

She smacked him and laughed, still a little shaky from everything. "I still think you idiots need to just leave big bird alone. Who knows? Maybe they're just flying around eatin' the pigeons and stuff."

"I wish I could believe that, but a lifetime of dealing with weird stuff tends to jade ya. You really should come to the lair soon. My brothers won't shut up until they actually meet you. Plus, we won't have to sit up on your nasty roof to hang out."

"Yippee. Hang out in the sewers and be interrogated by mutant turtles who already don't like me. Can't wait." Alex took the money April held out, thanked her, and started to leave.

"Make some excuse and come tomorrow. I'll meet you at the pizza parlor a block from here at 12:00."

"Yeah right." The way she smiled he couldn't tell if she was serious or not.

However, the next day he was pleasantly surprised to find her waiting outside with an extra-large pizza.

"I'm crazy and you owe me."

"You didn't get vegetables, did you?"

"Don't push it, dummy."

Fast forward and one terrifying sewer trip later she was sitting at their table thinking she had never seen a more aggressive form of eating than the brothers tearing into a pizza.

The one in purple, Donatello, was the friendliest. She liked him immediately, as his sweet nature reminded her of Mikey somewhat, and of the three of them he was the most willing to converse with her. Leonardo spoke to her, but the formal and stiff way he did intimidated Alex to the point that she could barely form a coherent reply. And then there was Raph, who had greeted her with "Sup?" before he stopped even pretending he cared. This didn't bother Alex one bit, as she was still a little unnerved by him and was only too glad that he didn't show any interest in talking to her.

The visit was uneventful, with Splinter and Donnie doing most of the talking; the latter enjoyed asking her about what she wanted to do after she graduated high school, to which she mentioned becoming a Radiology Tech . It surprised her how much he seemed to know about the subject, but she remembered Mikey telling her that he was, "Freakishly smart, but in a good way. Sorta." At some point she accidently addressed him as Leo and rushed to apologize for it.

He laughed good-naturedly, which put her at ease. "Don't worry about it. I can't imagine that we look very different from each other to you. If it wasn't for the masks we'd probably get confused, too."

Alex smiled at his joke. "Actually, you guys do look pretty different. I'm just really bad with names." She made the mistake of trying to prove her point and without thinking she looked at Raph.

"Like, his head's at least twice the size of Mikey's."

The second the sentence was out, she slapped her hand over her mouth. Mikey choked on his drink he laughed so suddenly, Donatello instinctively edged away, and even Leo cracked the smallest of smiles. Raph's frown deepened, but he merely stood up and walked out of the room muttering to himself.

Alex looked at Splinter, unable to make her face go back to its normal color. "Thank you so much for today. I, uh, really need to get back for my shift."

He chuckled. "The pleasure was ours, Ms. Alex. Feel free to visit again."

Back up top she swore profusely and swatted at Mikey, who was still grinning at how she had put her foot in her mouth. "Why didn't you stop me?!"

"With what, my mind reading powers?"

"If your brother didn't hate me before, he does now."

"Don't flatter yourself. Raph really doesn't care one way or the other. He's just convinced that if  
I hang out with you I'm getting outta work."

"Whatever. Hey, is your house always that clean?"

"Don't even get me started. Wanna hang out tomorrow?"

"It's gonna rain."

"We can watch TV in the lair. Don't worry, Raph'll leave ya alone, I promise."

She thought it over. "Fine. No offense, but I'm going to leave ya green butt now and try to process today. Meet you here at the same time. Hey!" She called him back as he started to leave. "You guys be careful, ok? I know you're gonna try and do something tonight."

He laughed. "Oh, you're a sharp one. Don't worry, I'm a professional, remember?" Said professional proceeded to step on the tail of an unsuspecting alley cat. As he screamed and ran for his life, Alex wondered how this guy could manage to find his way out of an empty room, let alone protect New York from evil.

* * *

 

"For the past two nights, I've monitored the movements of the harpy and have pinpointed where it returns every night-"

"Harpy?" Mikey interrupted.

"Yes. While 'big bird' is an endearing name, I've decided to refer to the creature by a more accurate description. By the way, 'assistant', please refrain from commenting and stick to the job I gave you. Those screws aren't going to sort themselves."

Donnie had not been a happy camper with the lab's newest addition.

"Anyways, every night it returns to the same place. I've identified the area as Hart's Island. It's uninhabited, but there are numerous abandoned buildings throughout the location."

Leo walked over to look at Donnie's numerous computer screens. "How far is it from Manhattan?"

"Not too far, the trip itself shouldn't take long. What's worrying me is getting away if the need should arise. The last we need is to be trying to defend ourselves from an aerial attack on something we hotwired."

"However," He motioned to Mikey. The latter gave him an unamused look as he pushed a button, causing the screens to flicker.

"I was able to procure satellite imaging of the area. Don't ask. Anyways, it's staying near the coast of Hart's Island. From what I can tell, each night it returns to what was once a penitentiary. The building is falling into ruins, but it's intact enough for something to take refuge in it. And, lucky for us, it's visible from the waters, meaning that we can do reconnaissance while keeping a safe distance. Until we have a better idea what we're going up against, our best bet is to avoid getting too close."

"Any idea how many of 'em are on that rock, genius?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Raph. I've been so busy hacking into government satellites that it must have slipped my mind."

"What Don means is that's one of our objectives tonight. While he can't get an accurate body count from here, some of his equipment should be able to give us a good estimate if we get close enough. While we work on that, you and Mikey will keep watch for any signs of detection or attacks."

"I can hardly wait."

They took their time traveling to the docks. Donatello kept careful watch on his tracking device to ensure that the harpy hadn't moved from its location recently. While the dot never budged from the island, he was unable to shake a disconcerting feeling.

Arriving by the coast at last, they wandered around until they located a boat isolated from the rest. Advancing, Donnie and Leo climbed aboard while Mikey and Raph hung back.

It was well past midnight and from where they stood the place seemed eerily quiet. None of the brothers was used to silence, so each of them felt on edge.

Donnie began to make quick work on the boat, but froze all of a sudden. The ominous feeling had worsened, and when his eyes met Leo's he saw the same emotion staring back at him. Micchelangelo and Raphael stood back to back, the latter swearing softly while looking around.

"This ain't good." He drew his sais and tensed.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you."

No one moved. For a few beats, they couldn't even bring themselves to breathe.

"You're smart enough to sense me, but you can't figure out the boat has an alarm? Really, so far I'm not impressed."

Leo never even turned around, his voice steady but authoritative. "Whoever you are, show yourself."

"And why should I? I'm quite happy where I am." Whatever it was, it sounded amused. Despite their best efforts, none of them could see it, though it seemed close.

"But, if it would make you feel more comfortable, I suppose I could be a little more obliging."

What happened next was beyond terrifying for Mikey. He heard the beating of the wings an instant before a gust of wind blew at his side; for a second, he could have sworn he had felt something past his cheek. Before he could react, Raph had in one swift motion snatched him away and struck out into the darkness, though he came into contact with nothing but air. The resumed their defensive stance, but Mikey couldn't help but shudder when a quiet laugh drifted out in front of them.

Further down the docks, a single lamb stood casting shadows all around. They heard something scraping against its metal post, but it took a few more beats before the figure perched atop it registered to them.

Large, glowing red eyes squinted, and they realized it was smiling at them. It looked just like the first one they had seen, but this time it was far more composed and less animalistic. Her long, black hair was held back in a single braid, exposing a face that seemed to be almost human. When she smiled wider, her long fangs slipped past her lips slightly, revealing something sinister lurking in the shadows. She was crouched with her chin resting in her hand, almost as if she were observing something fascinating.

"There. Does this please you more?" Her tone was one a person might use when humoring a child.

Leo had managed to appear entirely at ease, though Donatello noticed how his fingers twitched slightly.

"I don't think we met you before."

"Ah, but the interesting thing is, I already know who you are. And," She stopped smiling and growled quietly, "I've already decided we're probably not going to get along."

"Oh?" He tried to engage it in conversation, though he was happy with where this one was going. They all noticed how intently she focused on him. "Why not? It's seems a little premature of you to be making such judgments."

"My judgments are fairly simple when it comes to those who attack my children and then try to hunt us down."

Meanwhile, Raph and Mikey exchanged quick glances. Without an audible noise, Raphael began to lift up one foot and move to a more strategic position. Just as he did, a loud hiss stopped him dead in tracts.

"Shit!" He tensed again and tried to see where it was coming from, but it was too dark to make out anything. The noise didn't seem to come from any particular source, but rather seemed to rise up from all directions.

"That's not a good idea. She's still little upset about your previous encounter. As am I." She was addressing Raph now. "You wouldn't want a repeat of what happened, would you? She's not alone this time, and you won't get off so easily."

The hissing intensified and it soon became apparent that more bodies were observing them from the darkness.

"Now that we have your undivided attention, let me make something absolutely clear." Her remarks were punctuated by the sound of her talons tapping against the metal. "From this moment onward you will seek us out no more. I have no desire to interact with creatures as inferior as you and the humans, and it would behoove you to possess the same sentiments. Let us be, and we shall do the same for you. However," She stood up and fanned her wings. "if you continue hunting us, I will do whatever is necessary to protect myself and my daughters. This is your one and only warning, given only because I am not some wanton murderer; I will give you a chance to repent for your transgressions against us. Helena, come here."

Another harpy landed on the ground next to the lamp; it was the same one that they had struck with the tracking device.

"I'm rather insulted that you actually believed that contraption would enable you to find us. If you are intent on visiting the island, please, feel free to retrieve your toy. As for us, we will be returning to our humble abode. Our former one has recently become unsuitable for living due to a rather troublesome infestation.."

They heard the sound of wings beating all around them. Just how many are there? Mikey wondered.

"Follow us and I will end you then and there. Please, enjoy the rest of your night sailing. Don't let me keep you any longer."

And with that she launched herself into the sky, blending into the shadows quickly so that she was no longer visible. They stood alone on the beach, no one moving, trying to believe all that they had just seen.

* * *

A young woman's screams echoed off the walls of the building. She twisted and contorted herself into shapes that looked like they could only worsen her discomfort.

Pain, excruciating pain, and not just physical. Abandoned. Betrayed. Hunted.

_They hate you. They think you're a monster. They're going to kill you._

"Who?" She looked around wildly, unable to find the source of the voice that reached out to her.

_Everyone; past, present, and future. You hear it whispered behind your back, see it reflected in the way they look at you. Freak. Demon. Abomination._

The woman wailed again, consumed by despair, fear, and hopelessness.

_I don't hate you._

"Why not?" 

_You are what I am. How can I hate myself? I understand you. I care about you. No one else in this whole world loves you the way I do._

In one of instance of blinding, all-consuming pain, the world seemed to shift. After it subsided, she felt lighter, and for the first time in days her mind cleared. She felt something soft drape over her person: a wing, downy and newly sprouted from her back. As she lied on the ground, seeing sharply even in the pitch black, a single thought repeated itself over and over again.

Medea and no one else. Medea and no one else. Medea and no one else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The only thing I own is the OCs, comments and reviews are appreciated!


	7. Doubts and Discoveries

"Told ya."

Casper flashed his sister an obscene gesture from his position on the floor. Alex returned it in kind, holding the fire extinguisher in her other hand.

"We're gonna get shut down if this keeps happening. Not that watching you guys go up in flames isn't funny."

"I'm just happy you finally learned to use the damn extinguisher instead of just throwing it at us. Help me up." When she tried to, Casper slipped in the white foam and brought her down with him. After the rest of the kitchen staff finished laughing at them, they finally managed to get to the restrooms and wash up.

"Hey," He stopped her as she walked out of the bathroom, goop still stuck to her hair. After helping her get the last of it out he motioned for her stay.

"Are you alright? You've been quiet lately."

She shrugged. "I'm okay, just a little tired getting ready for some tests."

"You don't get quiet when you're tired; you get even more hyper. What's up?"

Alex gave him a half hearted smile. "You're worrying too much again Cas. I'm alright. You just worry about the idiots in there burnin' down the place." Before he could protest this answer she turned and walked away, waving him towards the kitchen.

With a sigh he gave up for the time being and walked back into the mess they were supposed to be cleaning. Instead, his cousins Matt and Hannah were leaning against the counter watching Alex's tv.

"I thought I told her to take that thing out of here." He stalked over and turned it off. "And you two, clean that stuff up before anyone else slips in it."

They grumbled but got back to work, wondering how Casper managed to sound so bossy all the time. He leaned against the counter, thinking for a moment that he could really use some aspirin.

Then he smelled it.

Turning his head from side to side he sniffed the air. "Hey, you guys turned that burner off, right?"

"Umm…."

Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Alex was worried. The last time she had seen Mikey was after having lunch with his family. He had called her the next morning only to say that he would have to cancel their plans for that day, and hung up before she could ask any more questions. After not hearing from him for about four days she called his shell cell; he didn't pick up, a fact that made her uneasy. She tried to tell herself that he was busy doing whatever ninja turtles do, but it didn't help when she replayed the last thing she had said to him in her mind.

"You guys be careful, ok? I know you're gonna try and do something tonight."

Two days after she called he finally got back to her, sounding exhausted. When she tried to ask what had happened, all he would tell her was that they found a whole bunch of the creatures and to be extra careful. This left Alex feeling confused and worried, as he had already mentioned finding more than one of those things. She wondered just how many others they had discovered.

Since that conservation they had spoken twice, and for only a few moments each time. The first was when she called to "just make sure you're still breathing", and the second time he had literally dropped in on her one night as she was locking up the kitchen. Donatello had been with him, as they were starting patrol in a few minutes. They had stayed long enough to say hello and for Mikey to drop off some comics for Alex to read to Misha.

"Least I can do for him, since I haven't been around too much lately." He smiled, though it was smaller than his usual grins.

"Yeah, my heart's breaking over here." Alex tried to joke. "Hey, but seriously man, let me know when you guys have like 5 minutes to talk. I'd kinda like to know about the monsters invading the city."

"Considering how often that actually happens, I don't think you really do." Donnie, who had already been staying back, finally nudged his brother, who turned to leave as well.

"Alex, is someone there?" She heard Casper as he walked towards the kitchen. She turned the tv up but remained with her back to him.

"Nah, just the tv."

"Funny, you say that a lot, but I could have sworn I heard you talking, too. Having conversations with the tv now?"

"Bite me."

"Hey, when was the last time you talked to Robby?"

"How's that any of your business?" She finally turned around and tried to walk past him, bumping into him harder than she had meant. Reaching her bedroom, she slumped down onto the floor next to her bed. She was too dirty to lay down in it, but at the moment she didn't feel like dragging herself to the shower. Taking her cellphone out her pocket, she pulled up her text messages.

The truth was Robby had tried to message her several time recently. Feeling mentally fatigued, partially from Mikey and partially from school, she hadn't sent him more than a few responses. But right now, tired and worried, she needed her best friend. The thing was, she wasn't entirely sure it was the best of ideas; while she had always been able to talk to him about anything, the subject of mutant turtles was new territory for them. And, most importantly, she was certain that Mikey and his family wouldn't appreciate her blabbing to people about them.

Biting her lip, she almost hit dial before she turned the screen off and tossed the phone away. Even if she could gloss over some of the more incriminating details (i.e: crime fighting turtles and monsters invading New York), she didn't feel right sharing things that weren't hers to share. All she could do was sigh, thinking that if things didn't settle down soon she was gonna develop stomach ulcers.

* * *

 

The harpy's warning aside, Leo and Raph were more determined than ever to find the creatures, especially after discovering just how many had come to call the city home. Donatello had made one of the most impressive messes ever compiling cross references of different winged creatures in mythology, though he was still unsuccessful in finding anything that come close to matching was they had witnessed. Even Mikey had pitched in with the research, though his actual contribution was debatable.

They all felt tense in the days following the attack; dealing with one harpy had been bad enough, and the knowledge that their numbers seemed to increase every time they appeared did not help matters. Both Mikey and Donnie had begun to feel uneasy since their late night meeting with them, largely because they sympathized with their desire to be left alone. Leo, as always, was burdened with the need to protect his family and the city, and Raph was still hellbent on repaying them for the new scars that littered his arms. As such, they were conflicted as to whether or not continue to search for the harpies, and if they did, what should be done from there.

All four of the turtles had decided to stay together on patrol the next week, but only Donnie had gone with Mikey to say hello to Alex. Leo now more than ever believed that their friendship should be put on hold until the current issue was resolved. Raphael had never said more than a handful of words to Alex to begin with and felt no desire to change that anytime soon.

That night's patrol yielded three attempted break-ins, a couple of thwarted assault, and the rescuing of one severely intoxicated individual from almost walking off a roof. But for the first time in weeks, none of the harpies' feathers were found. In fact, no trace of them had been discovered since that night they had been warned to abandon their pursuit. In addition to this, the rate of people going missing had slowed considerably. Mikey had tried to insist that this was a good thing, but his brothers pointed out that it seemed odd that it stopped at the same time the harpies disappeared.

"Err," He turned to Donnie, "any mention of bird ladies eating people in your books?"

"Do you really want an answer to that?"

"Nope, I'm good."

"What can you tell us?" Leo was sitting at the kitchen table with one of his brother's books, trying to take notes.

"Loads of stuff, not really sure if any of it is relevant. Harpies, sirens, Stymphalian Birds, and countless other mythological creatures share some characteristics with these guys. Still having trouble narrowing down anything for certain."

"I thought sirens were supposed to be hot?"

"Mikey-"

"Because those things are pretty freaky."

"Please focus."

"Like, seriously wet your pants-"

_Smack_

"Thank you, Master Splinter."

"My sons," Their sensei surveyed his tired pupils. "I think it would benefit all of you to sleep for a while; tired minds do not see solutions clearly."

"Me? Obviously you've underestimated my stamina. Couple energy drinks and I'll be good as new. Don't think for a second that I'm letting them have all that exciting research to themselves!"

Donatello's fears regarding Mikey unique brand of "helping" were soon laid to rest, because within an hour he was passed out and snoring loudly on the couch, a book discarded on the floor. Raphael had laid his head down on the table and fallen asleep almost instantly. Leonardo was still trying valiantly to keep reading, but Donnie noticed that he had been staring at the same page for about 20 minutes.

Donatello smiled at Mikey, but couldn't help feeling annoyed at how careless he was with books. Picking it up, he was about to return it to the shelf when something in it caught his eye. Settling down again with it in his lap, the genius reached for another book and began to scribble notes rapidly.

* * *

 

Emma always found it amusing that her eyesight, sharp enough to see in total darkness, would be counted as one of her greatest weaknesses. Bright light sent stabbing pain through her skull, and even the older harpies shied away into the darkness.

That night no moon lit up the skies, so she saw even better as she soared above the waters. She was circling around the island again. The wind rushed against her face as she tucked her wings closer to her body. The sensations were bracing and made every nerve in her body feel alive.

She was about to rise higher when a slight rustling above made her tense. Before she could react, something slammed into her. With a shrill shriek she tried to turn and confront whatever it was, but it had managed to wrap its arms around her. They descended rapidly; before impact it released her and pulled up. Emma was unable to correct herself in time, though her fall was broken somewhat by tree branches. Regardless, her breath was knocked from her once she reached the forest floor. She laid there wheezing and struggling to breathe while the older harpy silently alighted on the roof of a decaying building.

"Sloppy." She said, apparently not concerned at the blood dripping from the girl's side and forehead. "You never even heard me coming until it was too late."

"I didn't realize we would be practicing tonight." Emma finally managed to choke out. "Are you trying to kill me, Helena?!"

Helena snorted, her nose crinkling some. "I'm sorry; I didn't realize that your enemies would be kind enough to announce themselves prior to attacking. Also, if I wanted you dead, you would not be sitting there wasting my time."

Emma hissed at her, but struggled to stand. Every intake of air felt like being stabbed in her side; she had at least one broken rib now. Cuts and lacerations healed quickly on her; the bleeding had already stopped and the pain had begun to fade. However, as a fledgling, her recovery speed was still nowhere quick as an elder like Helena. It would be a week before a bone would completely mend itself, a fact that her teacher apparently found inadequate for stopping their lesson.

"In the air. Now that you know I'm coming, I expect a better counterattack. For heaven's sake," Emma leaned against a tree, trying not to lose her balance again from the pain. "What now? It's no wonder those freaks had no trouble immobilizing you. If you had any usefulness at all-"

"Helena."

Another shape seemed to have materialized in the gloom. Helena stiffed as she turned around and spotted the newest addition. Medea was sitting in another tree, one leg casually swinging below the branch.

"I think Emma has earned a break. Or would you prefer to keep going until she starts coughing up blood? Will you be satisfied then?"

Helena did not answer, but merely nodded her head in Emma's direction. After she had hobbled off, the two harpies remained in silence for some time, the sound of the wind in the trees all around them.

"Your job is to train them, Helena, not kill them." Medea's voice was quiet, yet something lurked dangerously behind them.

"I apologize. It won't happen again."

Nothing for said for a few beats, then "What is troubling you? This behavior disturbs me."

Helena hesitated for a moment. Medea leapt from her perch and came to rest next to her. Now her voice was gentler. "Talk to me, Helena."

"I am concerned."

"About?"

"About what has happened, and what may happened next. You entrusted me with the education of the fledglings long ago, though you have never been clear why they had need for such education. Yet when that need arose, my training was apparently useless, because Emma very nearly-"

Medea shushed her, placing her hand on the other's shoulder. "Peace, my daughter. I know what I am doing. Your efforts were not in vain; it is one matter to practice a skill with one's teacher, and another to apply it in the heat of the moment. Emma is alive, yes? And this is due to you, Helena. Never for a moment think that I am not aware of this."

"What is to come is another matter. I have protected and sheltered all of you for some time now. But I cannot continue to do this if you doubt me." Her stare was unwavering, and Helena had to look away.

"I never meant to imply-"

"It is only natural for you to worry. But I worry more than anyone, for you and all your sisters. Trust me when I say that I do nothing without good cause. Which is why I have sought you out tonight."

"The ones who attacked Emma are annoying variables in our plans, ones I would have preferred to not have to deal with. But they may prove to be useful to us yet, and I would rather have an ally than an enemy. Heaven knows I have plenty of those." The last part was quieter, so much that Helena almost didn't hear it.

"You've shadowed them before, correct?"

"Somewhat. Why?"

"I'll explain as we go along. For now, return to the others. I'm sure you can find another student in need of teaching tonight. Please try not to break any more of my things."

* * *

 

The next morning Mikey stumbled into the kitchen to find his family deep in conversation. Donatello had several pieces of paper strewn all over the table and 3 different books open on top of them.

"All of them," He said, pointing excitedly from book to book, "reference one specific book when talking about a certain creature, a sort of winged demi-god-"

"What creature?" Leo learned over his shoulder, frowning at the papers. On closer inspection, Mikey saw that instead of any recognizable alphabet, the passages were written with strange looking characters. The scattered notes were the genius' labored translations; one glyph in particular was written and circled several times.

"I don't know; while all of them refer to same beings-I think-the name changes sometimes."

"What makes you think it's our monster?"

"Grey skin, blood red eyes, bad attitude, and some other stuff. It's the closest description I've seen in a while."

"Go Don!" Mikey jumped on his brother's back.

"Don't celebrate yet. Whatever it is, its arrival is almost never something good. These things are either protectors of something or agents of vengeance. Depends of which version you read. At any rate, identifying the creatures was the first step. From here, we can find out more about what it wants, or maybe even its weaknesses."

"Who knows?" Mikey got off Donnie and clapped him on the back. "Maybe Big Bird really does come in peace and just wants to be left alone."

"I'm not ready to go quite that far yet." Even Leo looked pleased now. "But Don's right, this is a huge breakthrough."

"Sooooo, since this was probably the work of my awesome assistant skills, I guess this is a good time to discuss my wages, huh Donnie boy?"

Donatello swung good at him, unable to hold back the smile that appeared.

Mikey called Alex later on, inviting her over to celebrate their discovery. She showed up to the lair that evening for the first time since she had met the rest of the turtles. She was in a good mood, attributing it to finally finishing the last exams she would ever take in high school.  Her graduation ceremony would be held later that week, and after that she would be free to enjoy her last summer before college.

Seeing Donnie's work, she immediately asked him about what it was all about, and he was only too happy to oblige. He never seem to grow tired talking about his newest project, and Alex was beyond fascinated with what he showed her. She even talked about old Persian myths she had learned from her mother, wondering aloud if there would be a subtle way to ask her about them without mentioning her companions.

"So, what are you going to do for summer vacation?" Donatello asked as he leaned against the table. 

"I don't have any set plans yet. Either Robby's gonna come here or I'm gonna visit him, we haven't decided yet. And next month one of my cousins is getting married, so that'll be fun. Ya know," She grinned now. "if ya wear those trench coats and wait 'till everyone's been drinkin', no one would notice if ya crashed the reception."

"Don't make promises you can't keep." Mikey nudged Donnie. "But, hey, maybe it would be fun after all. Who knows, Leo and Raph might even crack a smile for once…"

At this, Leonardo interjected and reminded them that it was almost time for patrol. They all agreed to walk Alex home since it was late before they left. As she peddled home, she could feel their watchful presence from the roof above even though she couldn't see them. Smiling up at the building, she waved slightly before walking inside, feeling a little better after seeing them calmer than before.

"What are the chances we could actually crash that wedding?" Mikey twirled his weapons as he spoke. "I mean, you heard Alex, there's gonna be some big time drinking going on, so maybe-"

"No." There wasn't an ounce of humor as Raph and Leo spoke in unison. Donnie laughed at his brothers, opening his mouth to speak. He was interrupted by a high, piercing shriek that echoed in the distance. All of them froze as they recognized the sound; after a moment Leo drew his katana and soundlessly took off in the direction of the scream, followed closely by the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only own the OCs. As always, reviews and suggestions are appreciated!


	8. Battle Wounds

Helena watched over Emma from a distance, hanging back in the shadows as the younger harpy called out in the darkness.  She trusted Medea with her own life, and no doubt would have followed her into hell itself.  However, it was impossible to shake the feeling of dread as the mutants approached from afar.  

She tensed, keeping track of them as they neared; the agility with which they moved was something Emma had struggled with during their previous encounter.  Having caught site of the turtle that ran ahead of the rest, the girl let loose another scream.  She made no move to fly from her perch, however, and at this their leader stopped in his tracks.  Helena cursed under her breath when the rest followed suit and came to a halt.  She could feel their eyes as they searched for her, but all she could do was sink further in her hiding place.

* * *

 

They followed the harpy for some time, tracking her by the occasional screams that echoed through the night.  Eventually, she led them to a less crowded area of the city where the darkness crept in around them.  While the brother's training enabled them to function in lower light, none of them felt at ease as they closed in on her.  Now her figure came into focus, sitting atop an old water tower as she watched them.

Mikey's gut clenched when he saw her; from alien invaders to psychopaths, there seemed to be no end to the enemies he and his brothers had encountered.  Despite this, there was something about her childlike face and small stature that him pause. Her eyes, eerily large and glowing brightly, met his. In that moment he recognized her as the harpy that had attacked him and maimed Raph.  

Leo stopped abruptly, signaling them to do the same under the light of a flickering lamp.  When they protested being so visible, he cut them off and pointed to the harpy in the distance.  

"They don't like the light." He never looked away from her as he spoke. 

Though she hissed loudly at his observation, the creature stayed firmly in place.  Mikey sank lower into a defensive stance, glancing around in an attempt to locate any other enemies nearby.  No matter how hard they strained their eyes, they were unable to make out anything else, even though the feeling of being watched never lessened.  

Donnie inched forward to stand next to Leo. "Well, you got our attention. Now what?" Mikey was amazed that even in a situation like this, his brother managed to almost make his comments sound nonchalant.  If it weren't for the way his hands tightened on his  _bō_ , it would seem like he was teasing her.  

When she responded by growling at him, he only sighed. "You could at least use your words, we know your kind can talk.  How about your name? Will you tell me that?"

"Shut up." She dug her talons into the metal of the empty water tower, puncturing it as she spoke.  "I didn't bring you here to talk.  I brought you here to finish the job I started the night you attacked me."

The harpy's glare lingered longest on Leo, whose expression remained steady in the face of her threats.  

"This will be the only warning for you and whoever is lurking out of sight.  We don't want to fight you.  Show yourselves and this can be a peaceful interaction.  But I promise you, if you make any move to hurt my family, I will make sure you will never be a threat to us again."  

She only laughed in response, crouching and extending her wings.  "Oh, I've been waiting to repay you in particular." With a snarl she flung herself up into the air and towards them.  

The brothers made ready to dodge her head-on attack, all readying their weapons.  But, just as she took flight, the feeling of unease from the shadows reached its peak.  Acting entirely on instinct, Mikey shouted "Watch out!" as Raph pushed him behind a nearby wall.  He heard the metallic  _ping_ as something made contact with the brick, as well as Leo and Donnie's exclamation of surprise as the second harpy finally appeared.  Emerging from his barricade, he was relieved to see that the others had successfully evaded the missiles as well.  He only caught a brief glimpse of the dark feathers embedded in the stone before he saw her.

The second harpy had landed on an adjacent rooftop, taller and older looking than the first.  She was breathing heavily as the younger harpy came to rest next to her, shrieking in frustration.

"Helena!" She shook the other's arm, trying to catch her gaze. "It's no use, we have to kill them Helena.  Medea will understand, we had no choice-"

"Go." She cut the girl off, still breathing hard and fast. "Now, Emma!"

Leo was movie towards them fast, his brothers close behind.  The younger harpy hesitated and only looked on dumbly, still grasping the other's arm.

Her companion rose to her full height and drew in one long breath.  

In an instant all the turtles were immobilized.  With a scream of pain Mikey dropped to the ground and slapped his hands over his ears in an attempt to block out the harpy's wail.  His entire body seemed to spasm in agony, and all he could do was curl in on himself. He was completely deaf to the world around him, unable to even draw in air as her shriek tore through the air.

And, just as suddenly as it had started, all went quiet.  For a few beats, he lied on the ground huddled in a ball until he finally forced himself to breathe.  Wheezing, he opened his eyes and saw his brothers in similar positions, all struggling to recover from the shock of the harpy's assault.  

She was fairing little better than them; bent over on her hands and knees, she hungrily gasped for air as they stood to renew their attack.  The younger one was no where to be found, having escaped when they were incapacitated.  She shakily rose to her feet, making ready to fly even though it was obvious she was winded.  But just before she could flee, a barely audible hiss of air was punctuated by her yelp of pain.  A small dart now protruded from her shoulder, courtesy from Donatello and the small device he held.  She yanked it free and tossed it aside, though the damage was done.  Shaking her head, she found it difficult to focus her vision as the ground seemed to move under her. 

Despite her current state, Helena saw no option but to take to the skies.  She did not disappear into the darkness like before, but rather turned and soared low over the buildings.  The brother's made to pursue her, slowed and unsteady by the pain she had inflicted moments before.

* * *

Helena was terrified.  Their plan for Emma to distract the mutants while she attacked unnoticed had failed.  Worse yet, she was weaken from her own attacks and further impaired from the tranquilizers.  The more timed that passed, the more her senses were dulled and her perception warped.  

While flying gave her the advantage of speed, she found herself having to frequently land atop buildings and steady herself.  Glancing over her shoulder, she could see them in the distance, unrelenting in their pursuit.  And while she was still weak and tired, they seemed to be recovering some of their strength and began to close in again.  She caught a flash of red as one pulled ahead of the rest, determined to catch her first.

Groaning, she took off once more, praying that she could reach their den in time.  If she could only make it, then they would be unable to stand against Medea and the other harpies. But with each passing minute her doubt steadily grew.

She did not know where she was, only that she was forced to fly so low that the city lights hurt her eyes and further disoriented her. Now they were upon her, and panic gripped her even tighter.  Bracing herself, she realized she would have to stand and fight, weakened though she was. 

She turned and with a snarl dove towards the one in front, determined to make him bleed if it were the last thing she did.  

* * *

 

Later that night, after everyone else had gone to bed, Alex found herself struggling to fall asleep.  Tossing and turning, she glanced over at her sister's sleeping form and worried that she would wake her too.  Sighing, she quietly got up and made her way to the roof, grabbing her phone as she went.

Once outside, she settled into one of the chairs she had dragged up there.  She smiled as she thought about the nights Mikey had kept her company up here, feeling gladdened by her recent visit to him and his family.  

Her phone buzzed with a notification.  Opening it up, a message from Robby flashed on her screen asking if she were still up.  She didn't know how long she sat like that texting him, only that eventually her eyelids began to feel heavy.  Unwilling to go back inside just yet, she closed her eyes and rested her head in her hands, thinking about the upcoming summer and all the things she planned to do.  

The night was warm, and the constant noise of the city actually lulled her to sleep.  So she stayed there, curled up in her chair, a small smile on her face as she dreamed about friends, summer, and her upcoming first year of college.

Alex slept peacefully until she woke to the sound of Mikey yelling. Groggily, she opened her eyes and looked around.  She saw her friend running towards her, shouting and pointing to her and his brothers.  They ran with their weapons drawn, glancing anxiously into the skies.  She raised herself up, following their gazes too late.  A dark shape collided with her back, knocking the wind out of her and toppling the chair.  

She hit the ground hard, pinned from surprise and the weight of whatever had hit her.  Turning her head, she could see part of its face, dripping blood from a cut above glowing eyes.  It looked down at her and twisted its mouth into a terrible snarl.

Before help could arrive, the harpy sunk her talons into her shoulders.  Alex screamed in agony but could do nothing as her powerful wings began to beat hard; horrified, she realized they were now airborne and moving.  She screamed again, but as they rose higher and away from her roof she was too scared of being dropped to resist her abductor.

Without any warning, she was released and began to fall, the wind drowning out her cries.  A warm and solid body enveloped her, descending with and shielding her from the worst of the impact.  

"Alex!" She recognized Mikey's fearful voice as he rolled away from her. "C'mon, we have to go now!"

She stood, something warm dripped down her arms as she did; she realized it was blood from where the harpy had grabbed her. Donnie and Raph arrived at this point, the former rushing over to look at her wounds. Before anything could be done, the harpy had circled back around and now was heading in their direction. While she had managed to distract most of them by taking Alex, Leo hadn't abandoned the chase and had caught up with her.   

Something was wrong with the harpy, as even Alex could see how she was struggled to stay aloft.  She landed a little ahead of them, panting and shaking her head as if to clear it. Alex turned and saw the fire escape at the other end of the roof.  Backing away, she felt her heart racing as the harpy fanned her wings, a slight shimmer seeming to run through them.  

Fear won out as she turned away and ran for the fire escape.  She didn't see what happened next; she only heard the sound of metal hitting brick and concrete behind her as the brothers scattered.  Just before she made it, she felt sharp, stabbing sensations in her upper back that caused her to stumble. 

The next thing she knew, she was being lifted up again and carried away.  Mikey had unceremoniously thrown her over his shoulders, and as they ran she caught one last glimpse of the harpy as she fled from Raph and Leo.  The buildings became a blur of lights and sounds, and before she knew it she was in Donnie's lab, staring up at the light fixture as he began to work on her.

The worst of her injuries were on her shoulders, though they were not life threatening. All things considered, she didn't really feel like she had just been attacked by a flying monster.  Rather, she stared numbly at the ceiling from her seat, trying to process what had happened. She didn't even react when Donatello pulled something from her back, only being vaguely aware of a tugging sensation.

"Alex?" She was brought back to reality by Splinter. He had come to kneel by her chair, holding her hand in a comforting manner that had been perfected from years as a parent. 

"Hi." She said simply.

"Donatello must see to your injuries, but he cannot do so with this in the way." He gestured to the ruined t-shirt she wore. "If we have your permission, we will need you to remove it.  I can get you something to cover yourself-"

"It's ok." She pulled her shirt off without hesitation, grateful she had worn a sports bra under it to sleep. Her body protested the sudden movement and she let out a small whimper when she felt Donnie pouring a cold liquid over her shoulders and back.  

"You need stitches." He opened a box full of supplies. "I'm amazed these aren't more serious. The harpy carried you almost an entire block before she dropped you."

"So that really did just happen." She let out a small laugh, fighting back tears that began to slide down her face. "That wasn't just a bad dream after all. Oh well."

A hand dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.  Michelangelo crouched on her other side, worry etched into his features.

"Alex, I am so sorry. If we hadn't chased her to your neighborhood she never would have...would have..." He faltered, unable to look away from her bloody shirt.

She laughed again, having trouble registering the appropriate emotion at the moment. "Its not really your fault, now is it? I don't think you meant for that flying bitch to play hot potato with me. Besides," She reached out and squeezed his hand, "you technically saved me from becoming a human pancake. Thanks for that."

"Anytime." He managed a small smile. "What were you doing out on the roof anyways?"

"Oh you know, hoping you'd surprise me and show up."

"Mission accomplished then, right?"

She nodded, wincing as Donatello's needle closed a gash on her back.  He worked quickly and before long was finished.  For the first time, Alex noticed how shallow injuries littered the brothers' upper extremities.  Now that she was taken care of, Donnie set to work on Mikey, pouring antiseptic over his wounds before doing the same for himself.

"Here, Alex. This will help your nerves." Splinter returned from the kitchen with a cup of an unknown hot drink.  Whatever it was, it smelled wonderful and the steam coming off it looked welcoming.  When she reached of for it, she was surprised how much her hands shook.  Splinter draped a blanket over her, mindful of her fresh stitches, before passing out cups to his sons as well.

Donatello did not have much time to enjoy his before Raphael and Leonardo returned as well, sporting multiple lacerations that told the tale of their fight with the harpy.  Leonardo in particular had a nasty cut along his cheek, evidence of just how close he had gotten to the creature.

"We chased her for a while longer, but somehow she managed to make it out to open water where we couldn't follow." He walked over to Donnie, taking the antiseptic and putting some on a piece of gauze for his face. "It seemed like the further we went, the more the tranquilizer wore off."

"That little stunt she pulled with you didn't help us either." Raph stalked into the room, jerking his chin in Alex's direction.  She felt her face growing hot at his words.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Michelangelo beat her to a response.  He was seated on the floor next to Alex.  "You're not seriously gonna blame her for what happened, are you?"

"That's enough, all of you." Splinter's voice was quiet but silenced any further debate.  "Each encounter you have with these creatures becomes more concerning. Arguing amongst yourselves is the last thing you need at a time like this." He settled into a chair in the center of the room, closing his eyes and sighing. Alex wondered if he had been up all night. "Tend to your wounds and rest.  For now, we are all together and safe. Come tomorrow, we will further discuss tonight's events and where we must go from here."

"I can't stay here." Alex finally found her voice, causing them all to turn and look at her.  She felt herself blushing again at the sudden attention but persisted. "You guys do remember I live with _my_ family, right? They're kinda gonna notice if I've disappeared overnight."

"Alex, you can't be serious." Donnie looked tired as he shook his head. "We don't know if that things gone or if it's gonna come back to finish the job. Even tranquilized it put up a damn good fight, and none of us are exactly ready for round two."

"Speak for yourself." Raphael said as he wound bandages around his forearm.

Ignoring them, Alex stood up, feeling a little less shaky but more aware of her back and shoulders now.  "I don't have my phone, I don't have anyway to contact them to even try to come up with a plausible cover story.  What do you think will happen if they start looking for me? It'll look suspicious as hell, and I thought you were all about staying inconspicuous."

The room felt even more tense as no one said anything for a moment.  Mikey finally rose and picked up his nun-chucks, looking back at his family.  "I'll walk her home; it's not that far from the nearest manhole cover, and she is right."

"You will not be going alone, Michelangelo." Splinter spoke before Raphael could protest. "We will all go together and then immediately return to the lair."

They did just that, traveling in complete silence until they reached the roof of her building.  Alex picked up her phone, amazed it hadn't received so much as a scratch during all the excitement.  Donatello pulled several bottles of antiseptic wash out of his bag and gave her quick instructions on how to clean her wounds, as well as strict directions to watch out for infection.  Alex briefly worried about what would happen if it came to that; she could think of no good story to tell a doctor about how she got hurt.  She didn't have long to dwell on that, as Mikey came over and pulled her in for a hug while his family hung back.

"I'm so sorry for everything, Alex." He repeated, his voice abnormally quiet for him.  When he pulled back, he refused to meet her gaze.  

"Seriously Mikey, stop it.  It's ok. _We're_ ok." She smiled and waved back to his brothers. "Thanks Donnie for the new body-wash.  And thanks guys for not letting big bird turn me into roadkill. Stay safe."

With that, she turned and went back downstairs and quietly crept back into her room.  Breathing a sigh of relief that her sister was still sound asleep, she pulled out a fresh shirt and snuck into the bathroom. She locked the door and for the first time got a good look at herself.

Both shoulders sported angry puncture wounds that hurt every time she moved her arms.  Turning, she used a mirror to inspect her back, marred by three smaller cuts that had only required a few stitches each.  

She took some Tylenol from the medicine cabinet and put the shirt on, wincing with the effort.  Thankfully, she was able to effectively hide the injuries so long as she didn't wear something sleeveless or backless. Checking her phone, she saw that it was 0500 in the morning.  She still had a few hours before the rest of her family woke up, so she carefully slid into her bed and fell into a fitful sleep, dreaming of red eyed birds.

* * *

 

Medea said nothing throughout Emma and Helena's tale.  The latter had managed to return to their den, wounded and still suffering from the last bit of the tranquilizer.  After they finished their story, she simply stared at them as they knelt before her, fearing her reaction.

"Medea," Helena spoke first, clenching her firsts. "please forgive me, this is my fault. I failed to not only complete the task you gave me, but also have made a horrible mistake with the girl-"

"You make such judgement too quickly, Helena." Medea was now staring off into the distance, resting her chin in her hand. "It's true, this is not what we planned. But life rarely goes according to our plans. This girl, you said we've seen her before?"

"Yes, she's a companion of one of the mutants."

Medea tapped her fingers on the metal railing on which she was perched.  She tilted her head to one side. "And would you say he's attached to this human?"

"I won't pretend to know the level of intimacy, but I wouldn't doubt a friendship between the two."

"This could be to our benefit, Helena." She flew down to then, landing with a gust of wind. Smiling, she gently brushed back some of Helena's hair, exposing a new scar above her right eyebrow. "You have done well tonight and you're efforts will not be soon forgotten. While this was not what I had intended, we must never become so focused on our own desires that we overlook life's limitless opportunities."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing but the OCs. 
> 
> Thanks for all the amazing comments and kudos, especially Dementadoom! I'm glad that people seem to enjoy the story, please feel free to leave critiques or suggestions.


	9. Wake Up

“Guys?” April walked through the entrance of the lair, one hand resting on her growing stomach; over the past couple of months her pregnancy had become more noticeable.  

“Over here, April.” Leonardo briefly appeared in the doorway to Donnie’s lab.  With a nod he gestured for her to follow him.

She could stop her eyes from widening when she saw him and his brothers.  It certainly was not uncommon for them to sport injuries from nightly confrontation with criminals.  However, these new lacerations and cuts unsettled her, as did their solemn demeanor. Michelangelo was staring off into space, glancing up to briefly give her a small smile as she entered.

Donatello stood and walked over to greet her, a cup of steaming coffee in his hand. “Thanks for coming by on such short notice.  You feeling alright?”

“Don’t mention it. I’m actually doing a little better recently, not as much nausea and I’ve got a little more energy.  That shouldn’t last long.” She laughed, eyeing his beverage.

“Can you have some?” He motioned to the coffee. “I can get you a cup.”

“I really want to say yes, but I’ve already had my daily allotment of caffeine.” She took the seat he offered, huffing a little. “But I wouldn’t say no to a cup of herbal tea.”

After she took a sip of her drink, she surveyed the room and its wounded occupants for a moment. “So, is anyone going to fill me in on what’s been happening?”

Initially, none of them spoke; Michelangelo was the first to find his voice. “Same old same old.  Fighting the forces of evil, getting our asses handed to us.”

“Well,” She reached into the bag she had brought with her. “I don’t think this will fix everything, but maybe it will help some.”

She pulled out a large, leather bound book; its cover was decorated with intricate embossing and heavy clasps to keep it closed.

They came closer to look at it, crowding around the desk as April set it down and carefully opened it.  Inside, the pages were yellowed and contained writing in an unknown alphabet, accompanied by illustrations of strange and otherworldly creatures.  

Leo nudged his brother. “Don, is this the book you mentioned in your research? The one that contains information about the harpies?”

Donnie shook his head. “Not exactly.  But see this?” He pointed to an insignia on the upper corner of one of the pages. “There was a specific order of scholars who sought to record and categorize supernatural phenomenon.  That same organization authored both that book and this one.” He came to sit next to April, pulling out notes he had compiled. “I don’t know if we could ever find the first book, but I’m hoping that this volume will at least contain something useful.”

“April, where did you get this?” Mikey crowded next to them to try and get a better look at the pictures.

April paused before answering. “You remember Max Winters from a few years ago?”

“No way…”

“After one of the first jobs I did for him, he gave me this book.”

“Wait,” Now it was Leo who shouldered in to study the book. “Don, you don’t think these things are related to the monsters from the portal, do you?”

“Unlikely. The entire point of Winter’s plan was to send those monsters back through the portal to break their curse.  Considering that he...well…”

“Bit the dust?” Mikey dodged Donnie’s hand as a small grin ghosted his features.

“For lack of a better term, yes.  Since he achieved his goal, I think it’s pretty safe to say the harpies didn’t come from that portal.  The thing is, a celestial event of that magnitude, with the stars and planets and everything aligning-”

“What’s to say somewhere else a different portal didn’t open?” Leo finished his thought.

Donnie shrugged. “At this point, it’s the best theory we’ve got.” He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes as he did so.  “We know one of their weaknesses: bright light. I’m hoping to also find out a little more of where they came from and what they want.”

“You mean other than us dead, right?” Raphael finally spoke up.  He was the only one who had stayed back, remaining seated while they all examined the book.  He was watching Mikey, whose eyes darted to a nearby clock every now and then.

Donatello did not rise to his brothers bait, instead turning to April. “Are you sure you’re okay to help with this? I don’t want to impose.”

She smiled, taking another sip of her tea. “Like I said, this is the first time I’ve actually had some energy since this pregnancy began.  I’d better put it to good use while it lasts.”

Michelangelo took a step back and clasped his hands together. “Alright, operation study session is a go.  Again. While you guys get started, I’m gonna make sure we’re adequately supplied with snacking materials.”

He slipped into the kitchen and began pulling boxes from the cupboards.  He paused for a moment, hands resting on the counter. 

“You wanna help with the snacks Raphie?” He turned and smiled at his brother, who loomed in the doorway.

“So what time were ya gonna ghost on us to go see Alex?” Raphael stared at him, but Mikey noticed that neither his expression nor his words contained any anger.  Since that night, she had only been to see them for a brief visit for Donny to inspect her shoulders and remove the stitches.

The younger turtle turned around and began taking ingredients from the fridge,  “I’m not. Today’s her graduation. After she’s done celebrating with her family, she and a few of her friends are leaving for a road trip.”

He tossed Raph a loaf of bread. “Help me make sandwiches.” To his surprise, his brother walked over and started working next to him.

“She said she’d give me a call tonight.  You know, just to let me know how she’s been holding up.  Haven’t heard from her yet.”

Raph snorted, tossing a completed sandwich onto a plate.  “So what? She’s probably just busy. Anyways, in case you haven’t noticed, we’ve kinda got a little project of our own going on.”

Mikey stopped halfway through spreading mayo on a slice of bread.  “Trust me, I know. I can’t shake the feeling that if we had found a way to deal with these things sooner, then none of this would have-”

“Don’t go down that path, idiot.” He looked up at his brother, who had stopped preparing food.  “You should be focusing on fixin’ this problem, not standin’ around feelin’ shitty about what happened. It won’t solve anything, and it definitely won’t help her.”

Michelangelo smiled a little.  “Aw gee, Raphie. Wait until I tell Alex you were getting all mushy and giving pep talks.”

Raphael rolled his eyes and started to leave. “If she doesn’t wise up and start avoiding your weird ass first.”

Before he could make it out of the room, Mikey’s shell cell went off, flashing Alex’s number on the screen.  He picked it up. “Yeah well, jokes on you, I guess.”

 

* * *

 

Alex opened the medicine cabinet, squinting into it as she did .  She had been fighting a headache for days, never able to completely banish the pain that lingered even now.  

Pulling out a bottle of Tylenol, she shrugged off the jacket that covered her shoulders.  A quick survey of her back reassured her that the marks remained but did not look any worse; Donnie’s medicated wash had successfully kept any infection from developing.

She sighed and sat down on the side of the bathtub, closing her eyes for a moment.  The day had dragged on, the excitement of her graduation lessened by not only her headache but also by a draining fatigue that followed several sleepless nights.  The discomfort from her wounds were not alone in keeping Alex from sleep; she found herself plagued by disturbing dreams of whispering voices and shadowy birds with glowing eyes.  

In the light of day, she convinced herself that the insomnia was to be expected after such a traumatic encounter with a literal monster.  During the night, however, she was unable to calm her pounding heart or shake the feeling of dread that seemed to last longer after each awakening.  

A sudden knock on the bathroom door made Alex jump hard enough to drop the bottle in her hand.  She swore quietly and threw back a couple of pills.

“Just a minute!” Her breath caught when the door knob rattled, thankful that she had locked it.  She scooped up her jacket and put it back on, taking a second to collect herself before opening the door.

Casper stood on the other side, the corners of his mouth turning down as she walked out into the hall.

“Ever hear of privacy, asshole?” She crossed her arms over her chest, mimicking his own pose.  He continued to look at her suspiciously.

“You snuck off all of a sudden, I just wanted to make sure you’re alright….are you?” He lower his voice a little and leaned forward. “Alex, you haven’t seemed like yourself lately.  You sure you’re well enough for this trip?”

Alex laughed again, but the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach returned.  Her hands become to feel clammy at her brother’s questions and tone, so she quickly rushed past him and made for the stairs.

“God Casper, I know you’re nosey, but following me to the bathroom is taking it a bit too far.”

Before she could reach the bottom she ran into her mother, the crease in her brow matching Caspers.  She relaxed somewhat when she saw her daughter, who started a little as they came face to face.

“There you are, Alex! Catherine is here and waiting for you.  You don’t have your bag and you didn’t even change!”

Alex swore again and turned to run into her room, snatching up a hastily packed bag waiting by the door.  She embraced her mother, wincing a little when her shoulders protested the hug. Blushing, she realized that Casper was watching and seemed to notice her pained expression.  She refused to meet his gaze, flying out the door with a final goodbye.

Inside her friend’s car, she felt some of the tension slip away, even if the sun aggravated her headache.  She greeted Catherine and the others in the back seat with joyful exclamations as they finally set out on their trip.  Slipping on her sunglasses, she glanced back one last time at her home. Misha had wandered outside only to be scooped up by Casper; now they both stood out on the sidewalk, watching her as she drove away.  She rolled down the window and leaned out, smiling and waving to her brothers as they gradually faded into the evening light.

They took their time driving, laughing and singing along to songs through the night.  During one of their stops, Alex took the time to step away and call Mikey. He sounded just as stressed as she did, though he seemed to brighten a little after hearing her own excitement.  She reassured him she was fine and reminded him to keep her informed on any and all updates on the harpies.

It was late when they finally arrived at their hotel at Lake Placid, their first stop on a road trip spanning two weeks.  They stumbled out of the car and stretched stiff and tired legs. Alex’s headache had eased off considerably as the night wore on, her vision clearing up as well.  For now, she was so grateful to be away from the city that she found herself feeling better than she had in days. She ran up to Catherine, grinning as they looked around the lobby of the hotel.  

“I can’t believe your parents sprung for this place, Cathy.” Alex gestured around them and bounced a little, excited that they were planning on spending two days at the lake before moving on.  While she and her friends had pitched in to pay for the majority of their trip, Catherine’s family had supplied the first two nights in lodgings that the recent graduates could have never afforded on their own.

They finally made it to their rooms and gladly dropped their bags.  Catherine pulled Alex into the hall, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“My parents are amazing for this present, but they only agreed after thoroughly vetting the guest list.” Alex only rolled her eyes a little, aware of how strict her family was when it came to company their daughter kept, especially when that company included members of the opposite sex.  

Catherine was pushing her down the hall, whispering now.  “I’ve been planning this for a while now, Alex, but please don’t rat me out to my family.  They’d lose their shit if they knew…”

Alex stopped her friend, tilting her head to one side. “Cathy, what’s going on? You kinda scaring me.”

Just then, a door further down opened as two figures walked out and towards them.  She recognized the first as Catherine’s boyfriend Gabriel, who was suppose to be off on a trip of his own far away from her. The other walked a few steps behind, shaggy fair hair framing a familiar face that grinned at Alex.

She could only stare for a few seconds, her mouth gaping slightly.  All at once she regained her voice, shouting as she rushed forward to embrace the blond boy.  He said nothing but returned her hug, lifting her and spinning them around. Alex buried her face in his chest, hiding the tears that came against her will.

 

They all spent the next few hours out on the patio around a fireplace, loud and rambunctious despite the long day all had gone through before arriving at the lake.  Soon exhaustion overcame the rest of the group, and one by one they retired for the night. Catherine and her boyfriend were the last to depart, exiting together and leaving Alex and Robby alone by the fire.

Neither felt the least bit tired, sitting close together and talking almost none stop.  Texts and occasional video chats didn’t even come close to replacing the relationship they had enjoyed together before Robby’s move.  So they made every effort now to make up for any lost time, talking about anything that came to mind.

Or, at least almost anything that came to mind.  Despite her absolute joy at his surprise appearance, Alex could not bring herself to share the discovery of the turtles or her recent assault at the hands of the harpy.  She frantically tried to figure out how she could talk to Robby about these things without betraying Michelangelo; she had always been able to share secrets with her friend that she would never reveal to anyone else, including her own family. But whenever she felt ready to just burst and tell him everything, her words caught in her throat and she felt that awful, sinking feeling.

No, not even Robby could hear this.  First and most importantly, the existence of the turtles was not a secret for her to reveal. Even if this had not been an issue, Alex was unable to shake a sense of anxiety regarding her encounter with the harpy.  It wasn’t that she doubted he would believe her; this thought never occurred to her. Rather, she worried what he would think of her if he found out about her new companions or that she had become tangled up with creatures from legends.  She couldn’t stop picturing his horrified expression, pulling away from her in fear.

So she kept these things hidden from him and tried not to think of them at all.  For the first time in months she forgot about mutants and monsters and only talked of family, school, friends, and the future.  Eventually they ran of conversation and simply sat there, enjoying the warmth and soft light.

Alex rested her head on Robby’s shoulder, nestling closer as he wrapped his arm around her.  They stayed like that for a long while, until she had almost dozed off. She felt something soft brush against her forehead; opening her eyes, she realized it had been his lips.  The gesture, which for years had been a platonic one between the pair, now made her face burn and her pulse quicken in a pleasant way.

“I’ve missed you, spazz head.” He smiled as he teased her, but he held her closer at the same time.  She didn’t pull away, instead closing the space between them to kiss him properly. The action caught him off guard, but only for a second.  She felt him laugh at he returned the kiss, and she couldn’t help but giggle a little as they parted.

“Then you shouldn’t have left in the first place, dick-biscuit.” He laughed harder at the insult, resting his forehead against hers.  They lapse into comfortable silence again until she sighed a little.

“I’m exhausted.  Like beyond tired at this point.” She rubbed her face and groaned a little as the day's events caught up with her.

“Ready to head back inside?” He stood and held out his hand to help her up.  She didn’t respond, staring off at nothing in particular.

“Honestly? No. I’m tired but I don’t wanna go back to my room just yet.” She left out the part where it was because she wasn’t ready to leave him.

He looked around then jogged towards the building. She started to call him back when he turned and whispered “Just wait here a sec.”

He wasn’t gone long, returning with a blanket, sheets, and a pillow.  She recognized them as the ones from the rooms and jumped up.

“You do know you’re not supposed to take those out here, right?” She shook her head. “How the hell did ya get them past the front desk anyways?”

“I’m still not entirely sure myself. And besides,” He was suppressing another laugh, trying to look serious standing outside with an over-sized comforter, “I don’t think sleeping inside is an option for me anymore.  Guess who I found in our room with Gabriel?”

Alex covered her face, trying to hide the blush returning to her cheeks. “You’re kidding.”

He was spreading the sheets on one of the benches, unable to contain his chuckle. “Nope. They were out cold, but I didn’t feel hanging around to see if he and Cathy woke up later.”

He stretched out, looking proud of his bed making skills, “Taadaa! Just as good as the overpriced ones upstairs.”

Alex hesitated joining him, pulling her jacket closer around her.

“You know, when I say sleep, I actually mean _sleep_ , right?” He sat up, his blue eyes gentle and nonthreatening.  “If it would make you feel more comfortable, we could do Rock-Scissors-Paper, loser sleeps on the ground...”

She snorted, knowing full well Robby was afflicted with notoriously bad luck when it came to that game.  But all the same she felt calmer and climbed in next to him. There wasn’t much space and the sheet did nothing to disguise the hardness of the bench.  But she rested her head of his chest and was soon at ease listening to his breathing. He pulled the blanket over them and laid one arm over her, keeping the cool air out.  It was like this that they drifted off to sleep, Alex feeling safe and protected between him and the glowing fire.

 

* * *

 

She was surprised she didn’t dream. It seemed like she had only just closed her eyes when she felt Catherine shaking her awake.

“Did you two actually sleep out here last night?” She snickered at them, Gabriel and the others standing behind her.  

Robby groaned and pushed her away.  “Rude, Cathy! And here I thought I was doing you and Gabe a favor by camping out on this bench like some kinda hobo.”

Cathy stopped teasing them at this, though it certainly wasn’t a secret to anyone in the group where she had spent the night.  

Alex sat up, looking around with her eyes wide open.  It was early but the sun was already up and shining brilliantly.  More importantly, however, was the fact that the brightness did not hurt her eyes at all; in fact, her headache was finally completely gone.

She smiled widely and stood, ignoring the soreness that resulting from her makeshift bed. “Well, now that everyone’s up, let’s get some breakfast.”

Catherine shook her head, turning to walking towards a nearby path. “Wait, before we do that I want to walk down to the lake.  It's still early enough that not that many people will be down there.”

Alex started to object but was cut off before the words left her mouth.  “They’ll be plenty of time to eat later! We only have one more night here, let’s enjoy the place while we can.”

She looked back at Robby, who grumbled as well but rose and made to follow the group.  Alex shrugged and left with them, her steps lighter than they had been since the harpy’s attack.

They all talked and pointed out interesting sites during their walk.  It was cool that morning, but the sun warmed them as they made their way to the shore.  It wasn’t a long path but they took their time and stopped several times to take pictures.  Soon Alex fell back a few steps to be next to Robby, who smiled and took her hand in his, nudging her shoulder with his own.

It was a beautiful site when they reached the edge of the lake, its surface smooth and reflective.  Conversion stopped for a moment as they simply enjoyed their surroundings.

Robby stooped and pick of a handful of flat rocks, handing a few to Alex.  “Betcha I can still skip these farther than you.”

She grinned and let go of his other hand. “You’re on.  Loser buys the other person a souvenir in town today.”

Her friends stood back as she made ready to through her first rock.  It skipped across the lake, ripples break up the shine from the sun.  

On the last skip a deep, loud boom reverberated from within the waters. It shook the shores and caused them to stumble.  The once calm lake now began to churn, like a pot boiling on a hot stove.

Alex looked back at Robby, who still held his own rocks in his hand.  Suddenly, he dropped them and pointed at the lake, stammering and unable to form an actual sentence.

She turned and her chest began to hurt at what she saw.  The sun was gone now, the entire area hidden in a dark overcast.  Waves now violently crashed about as the water rose, advancing on the shore around them.

They said nothing to each other as they ran back towards the hotel.  Alex felt on the verge of tears, chanting over and over again in her mind “Wake up, wake up, wake up…”.  All the while she could here the sound of rushing water right behind them, feel splashes of it on her neck and back.

They ran and ran, but there seem to be no end to previously short path.  The trees seemed to crowd closer around them as the trail disappeared, darkness covering them the further they fled into the forest.  From the shadows Alex caught flashes of red eyes and fluttering wings; once, she felt the soft brush of a feather against her cheek.

With a crash they burst into a clearing; in the middle of it stood a single, rusted water tower. The water continued to pursue them, swirling around their legs and threatening to topple them over.

“Come on!” Catherine made for the tower, leaping onto the ladder and beginning to climb.  The others followed close behind, Alex being the last to make it. As they ascended the waters followed, dark and foaming and relentless.

She saw the top of the tower, her arms and shoulders burning from the exertion, her clothes clinging to her wet back.  At the last few rungs Robby reached down and grabbed hold of her, lifting her up onto the platform with him.

Alex clung to him, shaking from exhaustion and fear.  She closed her eyes and continued to whisper to herself “Wake up, wake up, wake up…”

Suddenly, Robby cried out and and wretched himself away from her.  Alex opened her eyes and screamed as well; his forearms were covered in blood.  

She reached for him. “What happened?” She gasped when she saw at her own arms, the skin a sickly gray color.

He backed away from her, absolute terror on his face. “It’s not my blood, Alex.”

She shook her head. “What are you talking about? The where did it-” She broke off as another horrible burst of pain shot down her shoulders through her spine.  Shaking harder now, she reached around and felt warm, sticky wetness. A sob finally broke loose when she pulled her hand back and saw the blood coating it. She could feel it dripping down her back, the burning worsening.

“What’s wrong with you, Alex?” It wasn’t concern that prompted Robby’s question.  There was a hardness to his eyes now, an accusation behind the words. “What have you done?”

“I didn’t do anything!” The water had ceased rising, but it still loomed below.  Her friends stood facing her, their faces twisted in disgust.

The took a step forward, she took one back.  Now she was on the edge as the wind picked up and pushed against her.  She felt like she couldn’t catch her breath, her chest becoming tighter and tighter.

Alex held out her trembling hands. “Please, please help me.  I don’t know-I don’t know what’s happening-”

Robby kept advancing, raising his own hands stained with her blood.  But the hardness in his eyes never left him, and before she could plead further he gave a final shove that sent her into the water.

Alex was plunged into darkness; she heard and saw nothing, feeling only a terrible sensation of falling.  She flailed and tried to swim but was only dragged farther down by an unseen force. At first she managed to hold her breath, but as time passed her lungs cried out for air.  She continued to struggle, but panic firmly took hold. Before she could stop herself, her body spasmed as she gasped for breath.

She didn’t breathe in water.  Instead, air flowed all around her as she realized she was no longer in the lake, but falling in an endless void.

“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” Alex was now speaking the words aloud, though the roaring wind swallowed them right up.  

The scene changed again: shapes of grey swirls drifting into view, curling like smoke.  Red eyes gazed out in the distance, unblinking in the darkness. She could make out the faintest of whispers in the wind, their conversation unintelligible.

“Alex.”

It was the only thing she could understand.  Never before had she been able to clearly hear the voices in her dreams.  This one, a faint, woman’s voice, reached her in the chaos.

“Alex.” Louder this time, closer and closer.  She tried to turn her head from side to side but couldn’t see whoever it was.  

She felt hands on her, grabbing her arms and pulling this way and that.  But whenever she lashed out to claw at them she felt only air.

“Alex.” Red eyes seemed to materialize right in front of her face.  She screamed again at the gray face of the harpy, feeling her hands grasping her shoulders in a burning grip as they fell together.

“Alex!’

No, this time it wasn’t the harpy who spoke.  This tone was clearly masculine, but still she could see nothing in the darkness.  The creature hissed but started to drift further away, receding into the shadows once more.  

“Alex!”

And just as suddenly as the darkness had taken her, it was gone.  She was staring into Robby’s terrified face as he crouched over her, holding her as she thrashed about on the ground. The sun rose above his shoulder, its light growing stronger and sending stabs of pain into her skull.

She shot up, almost colliding with him, and gasped for air.  They were out on the patio once more, the lake calm and still in the distance.

“What the hell, Alex?” He stayed right next to her, trying to get her to look at him.

She was still shaking and only sat there staring at her hands; her skin was its normal color, but she couldn’t stop seeing it gray and coated in blood.

“I-I was dreaming….I was dreaming…”

“More like having a night terror.” He helped her stand up, steadying her as she swayed.  For the first time she noticed to hotel staff that had come out as well. The way they looked at her and whispered amongst themselves made her uneasy.

She heard Robby talking to them, but she didn’t remember any of what was said.  Only that they were walking inside now and up to the room she shared with her friends.  As they entered, the others woke up and noticed her disheveled state. They sprang from their beds and rushed over to her, but the noise and movement made Alex’s heart pound even harder.  She pulled away from them, muttering something about not feeling well, and slipped into the bathroom before they could protest.

Her headache was worse than ever; the light over the sink seemed blinding. Her stomach tossed and turned like something was crawling around in it.  Lurching forward, she barely made it to the toilet before she began vomiting. Only a little came out, but her body continued to cramp.

The feeling of dread remained.  Her heart refused to slow and panic gripped her trembling limbs.  The effects of the nightmares had never lasted this long. She sat there, crouched over the toilet, holding her head in her hands and clenching her eyes tighter in an attempt to keep the light out.

Alex didn’t know how long she stayed like this, only that the worst of the terror slowly slipped away. The headache subsided enough that she could open her eyes.  She stood carefully, every muscle sore and tired.

She spent a long time staring at herself in the mirror: same brown eyes, same regular skin tone.  She took her jacket and shirt off, the fabric now damp from sweat. The marks on her back seemed unchanged, though they burned as badly as they did the night of the attack.  

Even now she couldn’t shake the sense of anxiety from the dream.  It had all seemed so real: the waters, the blood, the falling, the harpy…

Putting her clothes back on, she splashed some water on her face, staring a bit longer and half expecting her eyes to change color.  When they didn’t, she exited the bathroom, rubbing her temple in an attempt to clear her vision.

The door collided with Robby, who fell forward slightly at the impact.  The rest of the group was also waiting outside for her, though no one said anything for a few moments.

Alex was the first to find her voice. “I’m sorry.” She was looking at Robby. “I wish I could tell you what that was about, but I honestly don’t really know myself.”

“Are you...okay?” He seemed dazed by everything that had happened.

“I don’t feel right.” She placed a hand over her still rumbling stomach and leaned against the wall. All she really wanted to do was lie down, but doing so meant risking falling asleep again.  

Catherine came forward and embraced her friend, placing her hand on her forehead. “Food poisoning maybe? I mean, we did buy dinner at a gas station last night.”

“I’ve never heard of food poisoning causing night terrors.” Robby brought her a cup of water that she gladly accepted.

“I think I just need to rest.” Alex leaned into her friend, trying not to think about the way she had looked at her in the dream.

“Ya think?” Catherine helped to the nearest bed and draped a blanket around her.  She rubbed Alex’s back gently as she spoke. “I say we let you rest here today, and if you’re not better by tomorrow then we’ll take you to the nearest hospital.”

“I want to go home.” Alex pulled the blanket closer around herself, unable to get warm. “I don’t think I need to go to a hospital, but I want to go home.”

Robby came and sat down next to her. “Alex, are you sure you want to bail so soon? We just got here, and this might pass-”

“I’ll only ruin you guys’ time.” She wished someone would pull the curtains closed. “I’ll rest more if I’m home.  Maybe I can meet up with you guys in a few days, when I’m feeling better.”

He looked like he was going to argue with her when Catherine stopped him. “I’ll take you home, Alex.  Do you want me to call your family and let them know?”

Alex shook her head.  “I’ll call them. Right now I really want to shower and change clothes first.”

Catherine walked with her to the bathroom, stopping once they were inside.  A small laughed escaped Alex, breaking the tension slightly.

“I can take a shower by myself, Cathy.  Promise I won’t fall and crack my head open.”

Catherine let go of her and smiled, but not before giving her hand a squeeze.

She quietly stepped away later while they loaded her things into Cathy’s car and pulled out her phone. Some of the staff walked by occasionally and looked at her, though none wandered too close.  

The ringing was almost painfully loud as she waited for them to pick up.  She was starting to worry they might miss her call when, to her relief, a voice laced with sleep answered.

“Hello?”

She bit her lip. “Mikey, I think something’s wrong.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I apologize to all the story's readers for the long delay in updating. A bout of sickness and work being crazy meant I didn't have much time these past couple of months to devote to writing. Thankfully, things are settling down for now and I've been able to spend some more time working on the story.
> 
> As always, much love and thanks to all my readers and reviewers! You guys are awesome and I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Thoughts and reviews always welcomed and appreciated.


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